


Chemicals

by herdustisverypretty



Series: KnB Chemical Garden AU [1]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alpha Aomine, Alpha Kagami, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Age Changes, Angst, Aomine/Kagami/Kuroko is past, Crossdressing, Dubious Consent, Dystopian, Eventual Smut, Forced Marriage, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Minor Character Death, Mpreg, Omega Verse, Omega kise, Polygamy, Slow Burn, a surprise side ship towards the end (that is not Kuroko or Akashi), alpha akashi, background Midotaka and Murahimu, dark themes, hinted onesided Kikuro, not actually that slow burning tbh its kind of medium burning, omega kuroko, one-sided Akakise, side Mayumibu, side aokaga, tagging correctly is overrated, thats obviously NOT the surprise ship, well mostly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-28
Updated: 2017-11-03
Packaged: 2018-09-02 20:01:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 46
Words: 89,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8681503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/herdustisverypretty/pseuds/herdustisverypretty
Summary: ||this is the way the world ends, not with a bang, but a whimper||In the not too distant future, genetic engineering has resulted in men dying at 25, and women at 20. People are regularly snatched from the streets and sold as spouses into polygamous marriages to bear more children to keep the human race alive while scientists look for a cure. When Kuroko is captured and sold as a bride to the rich Akashi, he's suddenly thrown into a lush and enticing world, and he becomes torn on giving in to the temptation of his beautiful new husband and dreams of escaping back to the best friends he was taken from.{Mostly Akakuro - the other ships are background or flashback}





	1. {1}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Frickity frack. 2017 update. Rewriting this intro so it's less clunky and awkward and has more important info and less me talking nonsense. 
> 
> Ay ay ay welcome to my KnB Chemical Garden AU. This is inspired/based off a book called Wither by Lauren DeStefano ([Goodreads check it](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8525590-wither?ac=1&from_search=true)). EVERYONE TOTALLY HATES THIS BOOK. Actually I get that a lot. But, I am choosing to look past its flaws and adore it regardless. 
> 
> As you can see from the tags, this story is omegaverse. It really wouldn't make sense if it wasn't. In my story's universe, genetic engineering led to the perfect humans. Free of diseases such as cancer, long living and with perfect health, they were the first generation. Natural conception ceased to exist in favour of the new technology that produced the first generation. But there was a problem. The children of this first generation started dying too early. Girls at 20, boys at 25. It's not an exact science, the day they turn 20/25 they don't immediately drop dead, but it's all roughly around those ages. Going back to natural conceptions didn't change anything, the new generation children still would die at these young ages. Gatherers, alphas in grey coats driving windowless vans around the cities, routinely kidnap new generations to sell into forced polygamous marriages for the upper class, hoping to create more children to prolong the human race until a cure can be found. It's usually only omegas who are kidnapped; omegas with high status are often paired off with alpha family friends and acquaintances. Many betas are used as 'domestics', servants that serve the omega 'wives', usually bought from orphanages while young. 
> 
> I hope I've covered everything important there! I'm a bit in the clouds and don't touch on details enough in the story. I aim to go back and make edits and improve it once I have some more free time (and creativity). 
> 
> The main ship is Akakuro (dat otp), but there are other ships that are touched on. Akashi is also married to two other omegas (Kise + Reo), but he's not really interested in them. The Aomine/Kagami/Kuroko is a past relationship, before Kuroko is kidnapped and sold to Akashi. There's flashbacks of them all together and current chapters of Aokaga missing Kuroko, but they're not currently together. 
> 
> Also an important note, I use a lot of feminine terms to describe omegas in this story. That doesn't mean that's necessarily how I think it should be, that's just how I've structured the lore. Eg, omegas are often referred to as mothers regardless of gender. Again, it's just how it is in this universe.
> 
> Anyway, that's enough info. Read on, my minions.

Kuroko wakes up to see blue curtains with patterns of silver swirls surrounding him. He feels nauseous and weak, and he’s covered in a cold sweat. He manages to sit up, holding himself up with shaky arms, and he pushes back the curtain just in time to vomit onto the floor. He did always have a weak stomach. For a moment, he’s just disoriented, his mind blank and his head throbbing. He hears the sound of a door opening, and he blinks his eyes open to see a short teenage boy who looks about his age come into the room.

“You’re awake,” the boy says in a thankful voice. He kneels down on the floor and pulls out a cloth, wiping up the vomit. It’s really only clear stomach acid, Kuroko hasn’t eaten in what’s probably been days.

Kuroko collapses onto the pillows, exhausted. “Wha-?”

“It’s the sleep gas,” the boy says with a sympathetic look. “They filter it through the vents in the limousine. So you won’t see where you’re going.”

Kuroko feels sick again. Right. He’s been kidnapped. People are routinely snatched from the roads, and even their beds in their homes, by the Gatherers -alphas in ominous grey coats who drive windowless vans- all the time, but Kuroko’s always been careful. He rarely goes places without his alpha friends, he covers up his omega scent with deodorising sprays, and he _never_ leaves his house when he’s in heat. But bad things still happen in this world. Even he can’t escape it, apparently.

He’d spent days, at least he assumes it was days, inside a dark van. There were no windows, and he was huddled with a bunch of others, boys and girls, but all omegas. Kuroko had wondered how the Gatherers always sniff out only omegas. Unless you get incredibly close, you can’t smell anything. Does that even matter now, though?

After so long in the dark, when he stepped out into the light of the real world, he was blinded. They all stumbled, trying to shield their eyes, as they were herded into a line. Kuroko had noticed he was one of only two to have coloured hair. That was going to get him points with the Gatherers. A man not much taller than himself with bright, rose-red hair had walked down the line, inspecting them all. He smiled at Kuroko when he paused at him, then continued on. Kuroko had squeezed his eyes shut and prayed, to who, he didn’t know, just to anyone who was listening.

But in the end, he was chosen. He, along with the other captive with coloured hair - a tall blonde boy, and another tall boy with long black hair, were taken over to a shiny black limousine. Kuroko had never seen one outside of a TV screen before, and the sleek black paint seemed to glimmer like water. He was pushed into the back along with the other two, and he watched as the remaining captives were directed back to the grey van. He covered his ears when he heard the gunshots.

And now here he is, sitting in a lavish bed as this boy who can’t be any older than him sets a tray of steaming hot food on the nightstand. Kuroko feels tears prickling at his eyes.

“Try to eat something, if you can,” the boy says. Then he leaves.

Kuroko eyes the plate of food, and his stomach growls, but he refuses to eat. He falls out of the bed onto his hands and knees, and his entire body is in pain. He feels as if he has a cold, all his joints aching and his muscles too weak to hold himself up. He falls over on the plush carpet and starts to cry silently.

Aomine and Kagami must be going crazy. Kagami is always reminding him to be careful and not to leave the house without them. Kuroko hadn’t expected this though. He’d seen an ad about a research lab paying money for DNA samples, and had gone to volunteer. With the three of them, they need as much money as they can get, the lab that posted the ad was always reputable before. But it had been a trap. He’d stepped into the building and had been taken to a room full of other people. He’d instantly realised what was going on, but it was too late. He’d fought, but Kuroko isn’t the strongest (something his friends love to remind him of) and he was no match for the Gatherers.

He cries for a while until he falls asleep again. He wakes up eventually, sitting up groggily. He finally notices he’s not wearing his own clothes, instead dressed in white cotton jersey pants and a loose camisole type top made of matching white silk. It has lace adorning the edges, and it feels far too fancy and expensive. He only wore plain things back home, standing out was never a good thing.

Kuroko gets to his feet, shaking a little. He isn’t sure if it’s the remnants of the sleep gas, or if it’s the lack of food, but he’s incredibly weak, and he stumbles, grabbing onto the post of the bed for support. He sits back down on the bed and looks at the plate of food still beside him. Even though he lives simply with Aomine and Kagami, he’s never really been _hungry_ , and he’s just… _so weak_ right now.

He can’t help it, and he takes a bite of a baked potato. He exhales slowly through his nose as he chews, already feeling better and less nauseous. After eating another few bites, he stands up again, deciding to inspect the room. He first tries the doorknob, and to his surprise it’s not locked. He steps out into the hall, the carpet out here a dark green, the walls papered with blue. Kuroko starts to walk quietly down the hall, glad for his invisible nature and light steps. He doesn’t really know where he’s going though, just wandering in confusion. He stops at a door that’s partially opened. Curious, Kuroko peers through the gap. He sees the tall, black-haired boy who was taken with him. He’s lying asleep on a bed as fancy as Kuroko’s, also dressed in a similar outfit.

 _“What are you doing_!?”

Kuroko jumps back at the hiss, seeing the brunette boy who gave him the food earlier.

“You need to get back to your room!” the boy insists.

He ushers Kuroko along, pushing him gently back down the hall. Kuroko is herded into the room he woke up in, the boy following him in and shutting the door.

“What were you doing out!?”

Kuroko stares at him blankly. The boy sighs.

“You need to be careful,” he says. His bottom lip is trembling. “If House Master Masaomi-sama finds you wandering around, the both of us will be punished.”

Kuroko still doesn’t say anything.

“Are you feeling better?” the brunette boy asks. “I see you’ve eaten a little.”

“Where’s the other boy?” Kuroko asks suddenly. “The blonde one.”

The brunette raises his brows curiously. “I believe the House Governor, Seijuurou-sama is showing him around the mansion.”

Seijuurou… this will be the redheaded man Kuroko saw before he was taken into the limousine.

“I should introduce myself. I’m Kouki. I’m your domestic.”

“Domestic?” Kuroko asks in confusion.

“I’ll be looking after you. You should eat a little more, you need to regain your strength for tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?”

Kouki smiles gently. “Your wedding day.”

Kuroko’s heart and stomach sink.

“Please, rest. I still have a lot of preparations to make, so I should go, but if you need assistance, you can call me with the white button next to your bed.”

Kouki gives him a little pat on the arm then he leaves, and Kuroko hears a lock click and then a bolt latching when the door shuts. Trapped.

He’s exhausted, but he wants to explore more. It’s probably going to be futile, but he wants to look for another escape. He tries the window, but it’s locked just like the door. He peers out, seeing he’s on an upper floor. He sees well-tended gardens, trees with blooming flowers, he thinks he sees a mini golf course as well as a tennis court. There appears to be no end to the gardens, just grass and flowers to the horizon.

He continues around the room. The walls are blue, with deeper blue swirls, similar to the bed curtains. There’s paintings on them, and he recognises a few masterpieces from books of his parents’, though these are likely copies. Paintings of old are far too valuable to be found in even a place like this. There’s an en-suite with a huge golden claw foot bathtub. Back in the bedroom there’s a walk-in wardrobe already filled with clothes, and Kuroko hates to think how they have things fitted for him already.

He considers maybe attempting to pick the lock on the door, he knows how, but then he remembers there’s a bolt on the outside as well, so it’d be pointless in the end. He wanders back over to the bed and leans over to sniff the cup that he’s been given. It’s a fruity-smelling tea, and Kuroko is incredibly thirsty, having only been allowed access to minimal water in the Gatherer van, so he picks the cup up and takes a sip. It tastes sweet and rich, to match everything else in this room, and it’s only lukewarm by now, but it’s better than nothing. After drinking a bit of the tea, Kuroko realises he’s incredibly tired. He hadn’t slept in the van, he’d been too scared to, and now the missed rest is catching up to him. He drops onto the bed, sliding under the silky covers, and falls asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading chapter 1~ （⌒▽⌒）
> 
> I don't know what to say. Pls join me for the rest of the story? I hope u like it?? 
> 
> Thank for giving this a go ._.
> 
> ~Nix
> 
> B T dub, join me on my tumblr if you wish to ask anything: [Clickity click](http://herdustisverypretty.tumblr.com/)  
> Or come chill at fuckyeahkurokonobasket where I'm one of the admins: [Hi](http://fuckyeahkurokonobasket.tumblr.com/)


	2. {2}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have a look at the comments of chapter 1 for all my rants about the original series. I really don't talk this much in real... There's just a few select topics that I could rant about for ten years. Kuroko no Basket and Chemical Garden are two of them. 
> 
> Unbeta'd because my beta went to sleep and I'm impatient.

Kuroko wakes to the sound of a lock turning. At first, he thinks someone’s trying to break in; it wouldn’t be the first time, orphans and thieves have attempted to get into his house with Aomine and Kagami before, though if any actually manage to get in, they’re usually deterred by the sudden face off against two hulking alphas. Kuroko’s eyes are met with the silk curtains around his bed, and he’s brought back to his unfortunate reality.

“Tetsuya-san? Are you awake?”

Kuroko wonders how Kouki knows his name. Has he mentioned it before? To the Gatherers perhaps? He can’t remember. He’s tempted to just pretend to be asleep, but Kouki is already pulling back the curtains.

“Good morning! How did you sleep?” Kouki asks. He’s so happy and friendly that Kuroko doesn’t even want to be nasty to him.

“Fine,” Kuroko murmurs, staring at his lap.

Kouki is balancing another silver tray in his left hand, and he picks up the old tray from yesterday and replaces it with the new one.

“I’ve brought you some breakfast,” he says, then he walks over to a square imprint in the wall and presses a button next to it. The square opens, revealing some sort of chute. Kouki sets the old tray inside on a little platform and closes the door, then presses a different button.

“What was that?” Kuroko asks.

“Oh, it’s the dumbwaiter. Takes things to the kitchen to be dealt with,” Kouki answers. “Eat up, I’ll draw your bath.” He gives a little smile then heads towards the bathroom.

Kuroko lifts the lid off the tray beside him, and is greeted with a full Western breakfast. He’s eaten all these things before; with the work Aomine and Kagami do, they always have enough money to buy not just essentials but luxuries and small wants as well, so their food never has to be simple or boring either. Though, Kuroko’s breakfasts are never quite as fancy as this. At least, they haven’t been since he was young.

Kouki returns after a few minutes with his sleeves rolled up. He’s dressed like a typical servant, in black pants and a white button-up shirt; Kuroko thinks he might have had a vest on yesterday, but it’s all a bit hazy.

“How is it?” Kouki asks, nodding to the food. He sits down on the bed at Kuroko’s feet.

“It’s nice…” Kuroko responds softly. And it is. He’s hesitant to display any sort of positivity towards his situation, but at the same time he doesn’t like lying, especially to innocent people. And he’s pretty sure Kouki isn’t the one who arranged for him to be kidnapped.

“Good! You finish that and I’ll get you something new to wear.” Kouki stands and goes over to the wardrobe.

Kuroko is curious. If he’s getting something normal to wear, then the dreaded wedding isn’t happening yet. He pokes at the food, finding himself hungrier than he has been in a long time. It disturbs him to be eating this food so casually. He needs to be rejecting everything. Maybe if he refuses to eat they’ll realise he doesn’t want to be there and they’ll let him go. Or they’ll stick him with IVs and never let him have a moment of alone time. That’s also an option.

When he’s had enough breakfast, he reluctantly slides out of bed and follows an excited looking Kouki into the bathroom. Like the bedroom, the bathroom is decorated in shades of blue, with pastel curtains edged with lace adorning the window, and fluffy blue bath mats on the floor. It’s far more luxurious than Kuroko is used to. Back home they took down anything decorative and either sold them or locked them up in storage. Windows were covered with burlap and boarded up with wood and nails to prevent people from breaking in. Colours mean riches, and that makes you a prime target for thieves and orphans. Kuroko and his friends really _can_ afford to feed the orphans, but if they start feeding one or two, they’d end up looking after them all, and _that_ they can’t afford. There’s just too many people suffering in this world.

For a moment, Kuroko stands there, staring at Kouki as he rummages around cabinets. The brunette glances over at him. “Well get in,” he says with a smile.

Right. That’s what one tends to do with baths. Kuroko doesn’t like being naked around other people, even around Aomine and Kagami he feels a little antsy sometimes, so he strips off quickly and climbs in, sinking under the water. It smells nice, like the expensive soaps his mother used to use when he was younger. He can close his eyes and pretend he’s a kid again, his mother sponging him off with the bubbly water and washing his hair for him. Someone even starts doing that, and Kuroko finds himself relaxing.

“So after this, the doctor wants to see you,” a voice says, startling Kuroko out of his daydreams.

“Okay.” Reality is _so_ disappointing.

“And you’ll meet the other wives tonight!” Kouki says excitedly, as if the three of them being captured and held against their wills is such a delightful thing.

“I’m a boy,” Kuroko says quietly.

“Hm?”

“I’m an omega but I’m still a boy,” he says, slightly louder.

“I know, it’s kind of stupid, but that’s just what it’s called,” Kouki says with a sympathetic smile. “I guess you don’t want me to tell you about what you’ll be wearing tonight, then.”

Kuroko makes a face that’s both concern and curiosity. “Maybe not,” he says.

Tonight. So the wedding is tonight. Well, it gives him a little time at least. If not to escape, to at least stew and wallow in self-pity.

“Your hair is lovely,” Kouki comments. “I bet it’s what Seijuurou-sama liked about you. Your eyes too, they match perfectly.”

Kuroko feels his stomach twisting. He doesn’t want to be noticed. He’s always been invisible and he wants it to stay that way. Is this a better fate than what the other captives got in the back of that van? Possibly. Many might think that it is, but Kuroko is unsure. He likes children just fine, but that doesn’t mean he wants to have any with a total stranger who paid for him to be snatched from his home. Maybe he would have kids with someone back home; _someones_. If he thinks about them he might start crying, and he really doesn’t want to cry in front of Kouki, so he forces his thoughts to focus on the rosy pink bathwater. He notices there’s a bit of glitter in it. How pretty.

“Okay, you can hop out now.” Kouki gets up from the stool he’s sitting on and walks over to the sink where a pile of white clothing is resting. He pats the top of the pile. “You can change into this. I’ll wait outside.”

Kuroko waits till Kouki leaves before he stands up. His skin is shimmering with glitter, and he feels like a walking target. He’s still got the mentality from home, of having to be careful and avoid drawing attention to himself lest a Gatherer decides he’d make a pretty bride. But that _did_ happen, didn’t it? He scrubs the glitter off with a fluffy blue towel. The clothes he’s been given are similar to what he was wearing before; same basic idea but with slightly different adornments, a little ribbon bow on the front of the top instead of lace. When dressed again, Kuroko returns to his room, finding Kouki humming as he straightens up the bed.

“Perfect, follow me,” he says with a small smile.

Kuroko follows him out into the hall, and he eyes the other doors in the corridor as they pass. Each door has a different flower carved into the wood to identify them. This whole situation is too elegant. Kuroko feels out of place. He supposes he is. He doesn’t belong here, and he never will. At the end of the hall is an elevator, and Kouki swipes a key-card through a slot to make the doors open. Kuroko wonders if he could steal one.

“What does this doctor visit entail?” he asks when they’re inside.

“Oh, nothing much, just some check-up stuff, it’ll be fine.”

Kuroko narrows his eyes at the shaky tone in Kouki’s voice, how he gave him a nervous smile. That doesn’t bode well. They step out of the elevator, suddenly in a dark and uninviting hallway. Kuroko glances around, trying to make sense of the layout, when there’s a voice.

“Which one is this?”

“Tetsuya, the youngest one,” Kouki answers, his eyes trained on the floor.

Kuroko isn’t given a chance to look at who he assumes is the doctor, as there’s a pain in his upper arm, and then the room is spinning. The last thing he sees before everything fades to black is Kouki giving him a nervous glance over his shoulder as he walks back to the elevator.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Aokagakuro flashbacks! 
> 
> I want to write Kise already. I love him a lot.


	3. {3}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3 ~ yaaaaaay. I spent all day writing this. It was far too hot today and it was gross and I am now dead. 
> 
> Here's a little list of who's who in this fic compared to the original:  
> Kuroko - Rhine (obviously)  
> Akashi - Linden  
> Kise & Reo - Cecily & Jenna  
> Akashi's dad (Masaomi) - Vaughn (Linden's dad)  
> Furihata - Deirdre  
> Aomine & Kagami - Rowan (except they're not related to Kuroko)
> 
> Characters such as Midorima/Mura/Takao/Himuro are basically original, they're not based off anyone in Wither. And don't worry, they're coming soon. I need to figure out what I'm going to do with them lmao. 
> 
> Again this is unbeta'd because my beta is once again unavailable and I am still impatient.

Aomine and Kagami work during the weekdays. They’ll alternate between working a full day each alone, and doing shifts together. They have steady jobs doing deliveries and heavy lifting for factories in the neighbourhood. They’re both young, fit, healthy teenagers, they take care of their bodies and they eat enough that they’re not malnourished, so there’s always jobs for them. Kuroko works for the same factories, but does filing and phone work. The phones he can do from the safety of home, and he only ever does the filing when one of his friends can keep an eye on him. They’re paranoid. But for good reason.

Two years ago, when Kuroko was fourteen, he was almost taken by a Gatherer. He’d been at one of the factories, toiling away in the office room. The usual staff member in there was absent that day, so Kuroko was alone. They could afford mobile phones, and Kagami texted him to meet him at their usual spot for Kuroko’s lunch break, saying he’d meet Kuroko there. They liked to sit on some of the machines to eat, it was sort of like a grown-up version of the playgrounds they used to play on at the park when they were younger. Kuroko was about to take another bite of sushi when there was a cloth over his mouth and nose, and something cold and sharp at his throat. There was a strong smell overwhelming his senses, and he stopped struggling as the drugs hit his brain. He vaguely remembers falling to the ground and watching as Kagami started fighting the attacker in a recognisable grey coat. He passed out after a moment, and he woke up back at his house with Kagami and Aomine sitting with him and arguing quietly.

“He’s not going anywhere after this,” Aomine said. “Not without me.”

“Or me.”

“If you hadn’t told him to wait there, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“I know, I know, but I can protect him! I didn’t think-”

“That’s right, you _didn’t_ think, and now look at him.”

“That’s not fair.”

“Isn’t it? We almost lost him.”

“Jesus, I know. I’m not leaving his side. I have to make this up to him…”

Kuroko lifted his arm, finding himself sore and weak. He touched Kagami’s shoulder, and both boys spun around to look at him.

“ _Tetsu_ ,” Aomine breathed, falling onto him and squeezing him.

“I can’t breathe,” Kuroko said.

Kagami was sitting back, looking guilty. Kuroko didn’t want to see him like that. He wasn’t upset with him. Kagami couldn’t have known something would happen, the factories were always safe before.

“Kagami-kun,” he said, reaching for his friend.

Kagami took his hand. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“It’s okay. I’m fine.”

“You could have died, or worse,” Kagami said softly.

“But I didn’t. You protected me.” Kuroko reached up and stroked Kagami’s cheek. Kagami put a hand over Kuroko’s and closed his eyes.

“Tetsu, you can’t be alone anymore,” Aomine said gently.

“I-”

“No, I agree,” Kagami said. “That Gatherer didn’t just rock up at the factory and decide you looked nice, he _followed_ you. _Stalked_ you. He _waited_ for a moment.”

Kuroko admittedly felt a little sick, and it wasn’t just from the aftereffects of the drug. “I… Okay…” he said with a nod.

Kagami pulled him into a tight embrace, then Aomine pressed his cheek against Kuroko’s back. After Kagami let him go, Kuroko twisted around and hugged Aomine too.

“Thank you for looking out for me,” he said, glancing at both of them.

Aomine kissed his elbow, the only part of Kuroko’s skin he could reach in his lying down position. “Forever, Tetsu. We won’t let anything happen to you.”

Kuroko is crying, and his eyes fly open and he whimpers. He looks around, realising he’s back in the curtained bed in the mansion. He takes a deep breath, closing his eyes and wiping away his tears. He sits up and pushes back the blankets and the curtain, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed and leaning over, trying to gather himself. He gets up after a minute and goes to the bathroom, then returns on aching legs and feet to his bed, falling face first onto it. The lock on the door clicks and it opens, and Kuroko props himself up to see Kouki coming in holding some sort of plastic package with a box balancing on top. Kuroko eyes them warily.

“How are you feeling?” Kouki asks with a gentle smile. He sets the package and box down on the antique ottoman by the vanity table, then goes over to Kuroko’s bed and pulls back all the curtains so the bed is open.

Kuroko purses his lips and doesn’t say anything. After whatever that was with the doctor, and his dreams of Aomine and Kagami, he’s most definitely not okay. And he doesn’t want Kouki to ask him about his feelings, so it’s better not to say anything.  

“I brought your outfit,” Kouki says. “Do you want to come have a look?”

Kuroko really does not want to come have a look. He sits up and stares at the expensive duvet beneath him.  

Kouki unwraps the package and walks over to him, holding up a dress. Well, Kuroko had sort of been expecting that by this point. He’s never been interested in dresses, they’d probably suit him since he’s so petite, but he has never felt the desire to actually wear one, especially as he has to remain undetected at home. He’s not exactly _against_ wearing one, if he was home, messing around in a clothing store with his friends, he might be convinced to try one on. But being presented with what is clearly his wedding outfit is not making Kuroko particularly thrilled. He stares at the dress with a clenching heart.

The bodice has rows of delicate white lace with a white ribbon tied in a bow on top. There’s decorative corset lacing underneath the lace, going down to wear the skirt starts. The skirt appears about knee-length, with layers of tulle that flow down to the hem, which appears to have silk flowers in different shades of pink sewn into it. Kouki flips it around, and Kuroko sees that the back has more corset lacing and a large white bow at the bottom of the bodice. It’s pretty. Kuroko can’t deny that. But that doesn’t mean he’s eager to jump into it.

“Isn’t it lovely?” Kouki says, admiring it.

“Why do I have to wear a dress?” Kuroko asks.

“I know, it’s probably a little odd. But it’s just how it goes. It’s all part of the tradition. It has been for about fifty years. The other brides are wearing dresses too,” Kouki says. “I made it a few days ago, but you were measured while you were out, so I’ve made a few adjustments. It should fit perfectly now. Try it on!”

Kuroko makes a little sigh, and drags himself from the bed. Kouki just looks so innocent that he can’t help but comply. He takes off the pyjamas he’s wearing and lets his domestic fit him into the dress. Despite having corset lacing, it’s not uncomfortable or tight, it just makes it fit a bit more snugly. Kuroko already had a feminine waist to begin with, and he figures that’s what Kouki has tried to accentuate, the bodice of the dress making him appear more hourglass.

“And wait a sec,” Kouki says, hurrying over to the walk-in wardrobe and disappearing inside. He returns with a fluffy tulle skirt, slightly shorter than the wedding dress. “Put this on underneath. It’ll make the skirt puff out.”

Kuroko used to read history books when he was little, when his parents were alive and before he and his friends sold all the books. He liked the ones about the 1950s in America, liked reading about the greaser boys and the girls with giant petticoats under their skirts. There’s a café in the city not far from his home, decorated like the pictures in his books, and he always drags his friends there to get vanilla milkshakes.

Now he’s about to cry.

Forcing back tears, he pulls the petticoat on, and Kouki helps him straighten out the skirts.

“You look beautiful!” Kouki exclaims, clapping his hands together.

Kuroko tries not to grimace. Kouki tugs him over to the vanity and sits him down, then starts getting things out of drawers. Kuroko recognises everything from his mother’s makeup supplies when he was still alive. Despite also being male, Kuroko's omega mother always liked feminine things.

He again tries to keep his face blank. He closes his eyes and sits still, letting his domestic paint away.

“Don’t worry, I’m keeping it subtle,” Kouki says with amusement in his voice.

“Am I that obvious?”

“A little.”

“Why am I here?”

Kouki makes a gentle sigh. “I know it’s hard, but this life isn’t bad. I’m just a servant, but I’m well looked after, I have food and a nice place to sleep. I have clothes, and I have company. It’s really not so bad here.”

“Maybe for you. I’m going to be forced to have babies with someone I don’t even know or love,” Kuroko says, his voice coming out shakier than he would have liked.

“I know you’ll come to like Master Seijuurou. He’s not a terrible person.”

“He paid for me to be _kidnapped_ ,” Kuroko says, and his voice breaks. He feels tears sliding down his face, and he covers his mouth to keep from sobbing, but he can’t stop it now.

“Oh dear,” Kouki murmurs. He sets down his brush and pats Kuroko’s shoulder.

Kuroko covers his face, sobbing softly into his palms. Kouki leans forward and hugs him, keeping Kuroko’s head pressed against his chest. They don’t say anything, and Kouki just lets him cry his feelings out. Eventually the tears stop, and Kuroko sits back, exhausted. He wants to go back to bed.

“I’m sorry, Tetsuya-san,” Kouki says. After a few moments, he murmurs, “I need to get you fixed up…”

Kuroko nods, and sits up straight without a word. His face is scrubbed clean, and Kouki starts afresh. After a while his domestic moves back to examine him with a smile.

“You look beautiful,” he says. Kuroko just nods again. Kouki doesn’t do much about his hair, just combs through it and then sprays some glitter over it. He picks up a fascinator with a small half veil and pins it to the side of Kuroko’s head. He looks at his watch. “Okay, we need to get you into your shoes and go.”

He holds his hands out to pull Kuroko up, and he picks up the shoebox he’d carried in earlier, setting it on the vanity table. Kuroko peers over his shoulder to see a pair of pure white Mary Jane shoes decorated with bows and pearl straps. They’re just as lovely as the dress. Kouki helps him into them, doing up the tiny buckles.

“Walk around in them a little,” Kouki instructs.

Kuroko does, testing out his feet in the new shoes. They’re surprisingly easy to walk in, as the heel is only small. Even with the heels he’s still not as tall as Kouki.

“Good? Perfect.” Kouki gives him a wide smile and holds his arm out.

Kuroko feels a jolt in his chest, and he glances over at the window to see the sun setting. This is really it. He takes Kouki’s arm and lets himself be led out into the hallway. He’s taken through the house, through elevators and down more hallways. They finally come into a room that appears to lead to the gardens. The other two brides are already there, with their own domestics fussing over them. Kuroko is finally seeing them properly for the first time. The Gatherer van had been completely dark, it didn’t have windows, and Kuroko wasn’t exactly focusing on them when he’d been in the line when being chosen, and after the sleep gas in the limo, he’s not had a chance to have a good look at his fellow captives. They’re both a lot taller than him, Kuroko appears to be the shortest person in the room.

The blonde boy is dressed in a gorgeous cream gown that trails out behind him, with silk roses in pinks and reds sewn all across the skirt and bodice. Kuroko takes a closer look at his face and is slightly taken aback at how beautiful he is. He has incredibly long eyelashes, and they’re coated with glitter as well, he has high cheekbones and delicate, pale skin. He’s pretty, but he couldn’t be mistaken for a girl, even with the dress, but it still suits him perfectly all the same. His domestic is listing off things for him to be aware of and do during the ceremony.

The other bride is a boy equally as tall as the blonde, though he’s slightly skinnier and has long black hair. He also has nice eyelashes that frame pretty grey eyes, and he’s dressed in a blueish-grey dress with off-shoulder sleeves, the skirt hanging to his ankles and showing off silver crystal-studded heels. He looks sort of dreamy, nodding absently to what his domestic is saying, but not appearing to be really paying attention.

Kuroko feels his chest start to tighten as panic sets in. He doesn’t want to be here he doesn’t want to be here. He clings to Kouki’s arm and leans over a bit, breathing deeply. Kouki pats and rubs the back of his hand gently.

“I don’t suppose I could convince you to let me hide in my room and not do this?” Kuroko gasps out. He thinks he might be having a panic attack.

Kouki smiles in sympathy and pats his back. “You’ll be fine. Just a little ceremony and dinner, then you can go back.”

Kuroko nods, taking another deep breath and trying to calm himself.  “What’s going to happen?” he asks, desperate for something to distract himself from his anxiety.

“The ceremony will be under the cherry blossoms just outside; you won’t have to talk, everything will be said for you, so don’t worry about that,” Kouki says. “It goes in order of age, so you’ll be first. It won’t take long, and after the ceremony you’ll come back inside and have dinner.”

Kuroko nods again. It won’t take long. That’s good.

“Kouki, are you ready?” one of the other domestics asks. It’s the black-haired bride’s domestic, a bored looking young man with grey hair.

“Yes, I think so.” Kouki looks back at Kuroko. “Ready?”

Kuroko is definitely not ready. He nods though, and Kouki leads him over to where there’s a pale pink carpet that runs out the door into the gardens.

“I’ll walk you down the aisle, so you’ll be okay. Don’t fret.” _Kuroko is fretting_. “Then you just need to stand there and wait. It’ll be fine, you’ll see.” Kouki gives him a reassuring smile, then links their arms again.

There’s a bit of waving of arms between the domestics, then some music starts up. Kuroko’s heard the tune before, on the televised weddings he’s seen. Other reluctant but beautiful brides, walking down the aisle to their new, unknown spouse, just like him. He wonders if his own wedding will be on TV. Maybe if it is, somehow Aomine and Kagami will see it, and they’ll be able to track him down. He’s not sure how they would find him, but at least if they saw… they’d know he’s alive.

He manages to keep himself together as they walk outside. This section of the garden is surrounded by tall hedges, and Kuroko can’t see any viable way of escaping. There’s a pond with a wooden bridge over it to the side, colourful fish swimming through the clear water. Petals from the cherry blossom trees are fluttering through the evening air and landing around the garden, and it seems like a scene out of a fairy-tale. Only it’s quite the opposite in reality.

There’s people on chairs on either side of the carpet aisle, watching and smiling as the three brides are led towards the gazebo at the end. Kuroko wonders who they are, and if they’re aware that he’s not here by choice. Why do they look so happy? This is not happy at all, he thinks.

He and the other two brides are led into the gazebo and positioned in a semi-circle beside the priest standing there, and their domestics then move to stand behind them. Kuroko feels himself shaking, and he glances sideways to see the blonde bride smiling excitedly, gazing around at all the tea lights and flowers decorating the garden with wonder. Kuroko looks back at the ground in front of him, feeling quite sick. His soon-to-be husband, Seijuurou, is approaching them now, coming down the same aisle on the arm of a much taller first-generation man, who Kuroko assumes is his father. Before the gazebo, they split up, the first-generation man going to an empty seat in the front row, while Kuroko’s betrothed steps up to stand across from them. He gazes over his brides with a gentle smile, and Kuroko looks away, both terrified and disgusted. Kuroko doesn’t pay much attention to the ceremony, he’s focusing on the loud pounding of his heart in his ears. His and his fellow brides’ vows are read for them at the same time, to keep things quick, and he doesn’t tune back in until Seijuurou steps up to him.

Their eyes meet, baby blue and rose red. “Akashi Tetsuya,” Seijuurou says, his voice soft, but not quiet. Kouki appears beside Kuroko and holds his hands open. Seijuurou picks up the gold ring from his palms and slides it onto Kuroko’s finger. Kuroko feels the urge to vomit. Seijuurou smiles at him then moves on to the blonde bride.

“Akashi Ryouta.” Ryouta smiles and happily holds up his delicate hand for his ring. Seijuurou seems somewhat amused by him.

“Akashi Reo.” Reo doesn’t really seem all that fussed about the situation. He gives Seijuurou a twinge of a smile, then continues staring off ahead of him with unfocused eyes.

A few more words are said by the priest, then Seijuurou helps his brides down the steps of the gazebo one at a time, then he’s leaving with the first-generation man again. The domestics guide the brides back into the mansion, and they’re taken back to their rooms. Kuroko is ready to collapse onto the bed, until Kouki starts saying “What are you doing? There’s still dinner.” Kuroko makes a small noise of protest, but goes back over to his domestic to be unlaced from the wedding dress. Kouki herds him back to the vanity, sitting him down on the ottoman and getting out the makeup supplies again. Kuroko’s face is wiped clean, and Kouki begins again. When he’s done, Kuroko glances in the mirror while his domestic goes to the wardrobe. The makeup is a little more dramatic this time, his eyes painted with charcoal grey and black, more glitter scattered across them. His lips have been glossed in a dark, pinky-red. He looks nice, Kouki is a talented artist, but Kuroko can’t really appreciate any of this pampering. It’s all for the wrong reasons.

Kouki returns with another dress in his hands. This one is much different. It’s still knee-length, but the skirt is a transparent overlay on top a black frilly miniskirt. The overlay has strips of black fabric designed to look like a cage. The bodice is a mostly transparent black lace bustier, with small black cups and black panels along the see-through part that’s similar to the skirt overlay. There’s a little bit of lace edging the neckline.

“Please tell me I’m not wearing that,” Kuroko says weakly.

Kouki laughs. “It’s just for a little while. You’ll be sitting down the whole time anyway.”

Kuroko sighs and stands up. His feet are sore from the bridal heels, and he supposes this dress is going to have its own matching, equally uncomfortable shoes as well. Kouki zips him into the new dress, and Kuroko feels awkward and uncomfortable in it. It’s too short for his liking, and he feels exposed. He’s never liked showing off his legs as well, he thinks they’re too skinny, but Kouki seems to think he looks amazing. Kuroko once again steps into a pair of heels, these ones simple and black, but uncomfortable all the same, then Kouki is dragging him back out into the hallway.

“You’ll be meeting Housemaster Masaomi properly,” Kouki says, and he seems to be shaking, his face a little pale.

Kuroko is nervous about that. The last time Kouki looked like this, Kuroko ended up with a needle in his arm and he lost most of the day. They go down more hallways until they’re entering a dining room.

“I’ll be back to fetch you after dinner,” Kouki says softly, then he scurries off before Kuroko can get a word in.

Ryouta and Reo are there already, wearing equally revealing outfits. Ryouta is in a minidress with a black bustier, the skirt made of lace and only a tiny black slip to cover himself. His long legs seem even longer, especially with the black heels he’s wearing. He has sparkly earrings in that dangle to his shoulders. Reo is in a tight-fitting black dress that goes halfway down his thighs, with a lace overlay and a corset-like bodice. They don’t exactly look like girls like this either, but they’re still incredibly beautiful, and they pull their outfits off magnificently.

Seijuurou enters the room, followed by the first-generation man from the ceremony. They walk over to the brides, and Seijuurou smiles warmly at them. He kisses each of their hands, then steps aside to introduce the first-generation man as his father, Masaomi. He also kisses the brides’ hands, and Ryouta, who has seemed so bubbly until now, shrinks back from him. He has that kind of face. Unkind.

They’re seated at the table, the three brides next to each other in a row, Seijuurou opposite them, and Masaomi on one end. Kuroko supposes the other head of the table is for Seijuurou’s mother, but since it’s empty, he assumes she’s probably dead. Seijuurou talks to them during dinner, about the mansion and the gardens, about the food. Ryouta is excited to converse with him, and they chat back and forth about Ryouta’s studies at the orphanage he came from. Reo plays with his food a bit and just nods along to the conversation, occasionally answering questions with short answers. Kuroko remains mostly silent, only answering a few direct questions. Seijuurou’s father barely says a word as well, seeming to be uninterested.

Kuroko is fine with that. The less he has to talk to the people who arranged his kidnapping, the better he’ll be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I use real clothes for outfit inspiration, so if you'd like, I can show you the pictures I used as refs~
> 
> {Kuroko}  
> Wedding dress | [1](https://68.media.tumblr.com/f973d49de36053939eacc57a06aa97cb/tumblr_ohpkoxpjcU1ucu7gco2_250.jpg) | [2](https://68.media.tumblr.com/ffdbc08ee6e1f357d9f313719fcf3cda/tumblr_ohpkoxpjcU1ucu7gco1_1280.jpg) | [forgot to add this - 3](https://68.media.tumblr.com/9fa019b28325eaa92b5dd68f7c897a9b/tumblr_ohz4rnEeXJ1ucu7gco1_540.jpg)  
> [Wedding shoes](https://68.media.tumblr.com/cfe689a0d64b7b39ce8790cf696b14fd/tumblr_ohpkoxpjcU1ucu7gco5_1280.jpg)  
> [Dinner dress](https://68.media.tumblr.com/db369030e9ffb142caf747c33809f6a5/tumblr_ohpklt04k61ucu7gco2_250.jpg)  
> {Kise}  
> [Wedding dress](https://68.media.tumblr.com/beae32b2de4745fb5450b7e52fb2cc03/tumblr_ohpkoxpjcU1ucu7gco3_1280.jpg)  
> [Dinner dress](https://68.media.tumblr.com/46def0be98d1853dee2664a99f5d7531/tumblr_ohpklt04k61ucu7gco1_250.jpg)  
> {Reo}  
> [Wedding dress](https://68.media.tumblr.com/44b76e88e539daaee0b66f2732b08c5c/tumblr_ohpkoxpjcU1ucu7gco4_1280.jpg)  
> [Dinner dress](https://68.media.tumblr.com/76950cd648b700e90eceab16f3ebd06f/tumblr_ohpklt04k61ucu7gco3_250.jpg)
> 
> Yeah this fic is basically an excuse to put the boys in cute outfits. Kuroko's going to be wearing more lolita. I'm gonna force it on him. He has no choice in the matter, Furi hasn't gotten him any other clothes.


	4. {4}

Dinner ends, and Kuroko is finally taken back to his room. Kouki helps him out of his clothes and into the bath. Kuroko is exhausted, and just remains silent as Kouki chats to him. But there’s something bothering him. He knows enough about weddings to know how wedding nights usually go. There’s been no sign of Seijuurou since dinner, but Kuroko doesn’t trust that he’s safe.

“So how is tonight going to work?” he asks, his eyes closed as he stretches out in the giant bath. There’s no glitter in it this time, which he’s thankful for.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, is he going to take turns with us? Drug us with sleep gas again? Are we having a kinky foursome?” Kuroko isn’t usually this crude, but he’s long past being polite after today’s events.

“Oh! Well, I don’t think Seijuurou-sama will be consummating with any of his brides tonight,” Kouki answers as he massages Kuroko’s scalp, seeming to not mind his less than delicate words. “I think he would like to get to know you all a little better first.”

Kuroko is admittedly surprised. “Why?” he asks.

Kouki seems confused. “Well, because that’s the nice thing to do, of course?”

Kuroko frowns. Seijuurou is nothing close to nice in his mind, so this one act of kindness isn’t going to change anything. Not that it’s even kindness, it’s just being a decent human being. Well, as decent as you can get when you’re a kidnapper.

He sits in the bath for a while longer, until his skin starts to prune. He gets out and Kouki fetches him some fresh pyjamas. These ones aren’t white like the ones he wore before, but periwinkle blue, matching Kuroko’s hair. They’re soft and comfy against his skin, and he’s glad he’s finally out of all those infernal dresses and heels. He climbs onto his bed and Kouki starts rummaging around in the nightstand.

“Do you want a candle lit? I have lots of different scents!” he says.

“Do you have a vanilla one?” Kuroko asks.

“Yes! It’s very nice,” Kouki says, pulling out a creamy brown candle in a jar and setting it on the table. He pulls a pack of matches from one of his many pockets and lights it.

It only takes a few moments for the scent to manifest, and it wafts throughout the room, washing over Kuroko and calming him instantly. He sighs and presses his cheek into his silk pillowcase. He’s always loved vanilla. His beauty routine at home isn’t anything fancy, washing his face with water and then an unscented moisturiser, but he always splurges on vanilla scented shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. The bottles are expensive, but Aomine and Kagami let him buy them; they like to spoil him a bit. Kuroko has noticed that he smells different now. With the soaps and shampoos that Kouki’s been using, he smells like this mansion, not like home. He wonders if he could ask for his brand of vanilla products.

As he’s lying on his bed, relaxing, Kouki starts massaging his sore feet. Kuroko sighs in contentment, burying into the pillow and blankets. This isn’t so bad. He starts drifting in and out of sleep, and eventually he registers that Kouki is gone and the candle has been put out. He raises his head and sees that it’s dark, the room lit only by the moon shining through the uncovered window. He drops back down and falls asleep again. He’s a light sleeper though, and sometime when pale light has just started to fill the room, his door opens. Kuroko stays still, watching as the figure steps over the threshold.

“Tetsuya,” Seijuurou says softly. “Are you awake?”

Kuroko is terrified of this man, and he freezes for a moment. He doesn’t like how Seijuurou says his name, like he owns it. He wants to feign sleep, but the bed curtains are pulled back, and Seijuurou is staring right at him. He knows Kuroko is awake.

“Yes.”

“Please get up and put something warm on.”

Seijuurou leans against the closed door, watching him. Kuroko takes a moment then climbs out of bed, shivering as he passes his husband. If he’s putting something warm on, does this mean they’re going outside? He goes into the wardrobe and flicks on the light. Everything inside is adorable. More frilly dresses, and everything that isn’t a puffy-skirted dress is just as cutesy. He picks out a white woollen jumper with lace and bows at the collar, and manages to find some pastel blue sweatpants. It’ll do, he figures, though he’s going to have a talk with Kouki about the nature of his wardrobe. He slips off his pyjamas and pulls on the clothes, then digs around a bit to find some socks and a pair of blue slippers. He goes back out to his room, turning off the light, and Seijuurou smiles at him.

“Come with me,” he says.

He doesn’t touch Kuroko as they walk, and Kuroko just trails slightly behind him down the many hallways. They go down elevators and through more hallways, then they’re at a door. Seijuurou opens it and Kuroko is hit with a rush of cool air. They step outside, Kuroko following Seijuurou through the garden. It’s the cherry blossom garden, though this is a different door to the one Kuroko went through for the wedding last night. Seijuurou leads him over to a swinging chair. It’s made of wrought iron, and it looks old but sturdy. Kuroko sits down beside Seijuurou, and his husband gently rocks them with his foot.

“It’s nice at this time of day,” he says. “Peaceful. Like we’re the only ones in the whole world.”

Kuroko stares at the ground and doesn’t say anything.

“You looked beautiful yesterday,” Seijuurou continues.

Kuroko twists the golden ring on his finger. It’s weird wearing it. He’s never worn jewellery before, and it’s strange having a foreign object constantly attached to him now. He tries not to think about what it symbolises; it’s just sort of there, he tells himself.

“Do you like the cherry blossoms? Have you seen one before?”

“Yes. We had them back home.” Kuroko doesn’t know why he’s answering.

“Where are you from?”

He’s from Tokyo.

“Where are we now?” Kuroko asks.

Seijuurou smiles. “We’re in Kyoto.”

Kyoto. Well, it could be worse. It’s only a few hours to Tokyo by train, but still. It’s too far from home. _Anywhere_ would be too far from home.

“Is your domestic treating you well?” Seijuurou asks. Kuroko nods silently. “He’s very talented. He made a lot of your clothes by himself.”

“Is he the one choosing to put me in dresses?” Kuroko asks without looking up.

Seijuurou chuckles. “No, that would be me. But he’s quite happy to comply.”

“Are the others going to be wearing frilly skirts as well?”

“If they want them.”

“What if I don’t want them?”

“Do you dislike them?”

Kuroko looks at him with furrowed brows. “It’s just not what I’m used to.”

“So are a lot of things here, I imagine. You haven’t told me where you came from still,” Seijuurou reminds him.

“I’m from Tokyo.”

“That’s it?”

“What more do you want from me?” Kuroko says with a glare.

Seijuurou tilts his head. “I’d like to know more about you.”

“Why do you even care?” Kuroko asks in an icy voice.

Seijuurou looks a little sad. It only makes Kuroko angrier.

“I want to know you. We _are_ married, if you remember.”

“I remember,” Kuroko says, not caring to keep the bitterness from his voice.

“Do you hate me so much?”

Kuroko snorts out a breath of air and doesn’t answer.

“Do you know how to read?” Seijuurou asks.

Kuroko’s parents told him that once, everyone knew how to read. Every child went to school and they were taught things such as reading, writing, and arithmetic. Nowadays though, these are things a lot of the orphans roaming the streets can’t afford.

“Yes.”

“You should look at the library today. There’s some musical instruments in there as well, if you’re interested in playing.” Seijuurou watches him for a moment. “I’ll take you back to your room now,” he says.

Kuroko nods. They stand, and he follows Seijuurou back into the house. They stop outside his door, the door carved with a flower Kuroko knows as a lily.

“Thank you for coming outside with me,” Seijuurou says. He looks at Kuroko sadly again, then he leaves.

Kuroko goes back inside his room and takes off the jumper, putting it on the settee at the end of his bed. He then climbs in under the covers, not bothering to find a pyjama shirt to put on – he figures Seijuurou’s not going to come knocking again just yet. He falls asleep easily, tired from being woken up so early. Unfortunately, his rest doesn’t last.

There’s a shutter sound, as if someone’s taking photos, and Kuroko blinks his eyes open to see a teenage boy standing at the end of his bed and holding up a phone. Beside him is another boy the same age, who appears to be trying to drag him away. It appears to be light out now. 

“Ooh! I woke you!” the teenager with the phone says.

Kuroko bolts upright, staring at him in panic. “Who are you?” he asks, holding his blankets up to cover himself.

“Oh, I’m Kazunari. I live here,” the teenager says. He’s taller than Kuroko, though still quite short, with black hair parted in the centre of his forehead and catlike grey eyes.

“Kazunari, you really need to get out. Midorima-sama will be angry at you! And _me_!” the other boy hisses.

“But this one is so cute!” Kazunari exclaims. He snaps another photo of Kuroko on his phone. “He’s so small! I want to squeeze him!”

“You’re going to get us both in trouble!”

Kazunari waves his hand dismissively. “It’s fine, Shun. Shin-chan won’t even care.”

“I really think he will.”

“You’re a spoilsport.”

“What are you two talking about?” Kuroko interrupts, more confused than he’s ever been in his life.

Kazunari blinks at him. “Has Akashi not told you about us?” Kuroko shakes his head. “Shin-chan is my husband. He’s a friend of Akashi’s. We moved here after Shin-chan’s first-gen parents were killed by protesters.”

“So you’re-?”

“Another bride, like you,” Kazunari smiles. “ _Technically_ I’m supposed to live on your floor as well, but I don’t really spend much time here. I’m usually with Shin-chan.”

“KAZUNARI,” a deep voice booms.

Kuroko flinches, curling back in fear. He doesn’t like loud noises.

“Oops,” Kazunari mutters.

“ _I told you_!” the other boy, Shun, hisses.

A young man with grass-green hair storms into the room. “What do you think you’re doing?” he growls.

“Just havin’ fun!” Kazunari says with a bounce. “I wanted to see the newbies!”

“Putting aside the fact that Akashi will likely _murder_ you for this, it’s rude to disturb someone’s slumber,” the green-haired man says curtly. He looks at Kuroko. “Apologies. Kazunari is a bumbling idiot and doesn’t think before he acts.”

Kuroko looks at them curiously, not answering.

“And Shun, I would have hoped you’d be able to wrangle him better.”

“Sorry, Midorima-sama. I tried! He was determined!”

Midorima huffs. “Fine. Now the both of you get out. Kazunari, delete those pictures.”

“What!? But Shin-chaaan!”

“If I started taking photos of you while you were asleep, you wouldn’t like it either,” Midorima says.

“Actually, I’d want to see them. I bet I look cute when I sleep!”

“Kazunari, _GO_.”

“Fine. Party pooper.” Kazunari pokes his tongue out at Kuroko and waves. “I’ll see you later, newbie.”

Midorima shoos the two teenagers out and closes Kuroko’s door, leaving him alone again. Mornings in this place seem to be… animated.

Kouki turns up not much later with a tray of breakfast. He sets it down and hands Kuroko a notepad that has checkboxes printed on it beside lists of foods and drinks, as well as a fancy looking pen.

“What’s this?” Kuroko asks.

“A menu!” Kouki says happily. “You can order what you want for breakfast each day. Write down what you want the night before, then put the paper in the dumbwaiter and press the button.”

“Do I get to choose the rest of my meals?”

“Lunch and dinner are different every day; the kitchen staff always do something different so it’d be a little harder to order for them. But if you have any special needs you can ask. Master Seijuurou is a vegan, so we can cater to anything you want. I’ve been giving you meat, you’re not a vegetarian, are you?” Kouki asks with a concerned look.

“No,” Kuroko answers. But his husband is vegan. Interesting…

“Okay good. You were checked for allergies and intolerances by the doctor, but tell me if there’s anything you don’t like so I can tell the staff.”

Kuroko pointedly ignores that part about being checked for allergies. He takes bites of fluffy pancakes with fruit and real maple syrup as he fills in a breakfast order for tomorrow. As well as a multitude of Western foods, there’s plenty of Japanese and other Asian foods as well. At least he’s going to stay well fed.

Kouki goes around the room cleaning and straightening things, then disappears into the bathroom, and a moment later the sound of running water can be heard. Kuroko has to admit, he doesn’t mind the fancy treatment. It’s kind of nice to be pampered a bit. Then he realises what he’s thinking and he goes off his food. He finishes off the checklist and sets it aside, then gets up and goes into the bathroom.

“I met some people this morning,” he says as he gets undressed. He seems to have gotten used to bathing with Kouki in the room. He trusts his domestic…

“What? People? Who?”

“A man named Midorima, and his bride, Kazunari, and his domestic, I think,” Kuroko answers.

“How did you meet them?” Kouki asks with a confused look. “They never come to this part of the house.”

“Kazunari-san was taking photos of me while I was sleeping.”

“Oh dear. That does sound like him. Midorima-sama lives here as well.”

“That’s what they told me. They said his parents were killed by protesters,” Kuroko says quietly.

“Yes, that’s right. They were doctors, but their hospital was attacked a few years ago. His little sister is here as well, running around somewhere. Kazunari’s sister is here too. You’ll probably meet them later.”

Kuroko feels a lump in his throat. He lost his parents almost the exact same way as Midorima. They were geneticists, working on finding a cure for the ticking time bomb inside their son. Aomine’s parents were colleagues of theirs, working in the same lab. That’s how Kuroko and Aomine knew each other, they had been together since they were born.

Some people don’t think a cure should be found. They think this virus is a sign that humanity is meant to die. Some of these people are peaceful, but some of them… The lab where Kuroko and Aomine’s parents worked went up in flames when Kuroko was ten and Aomine was twelve. Rebels built some sort of bomb, and it was big enough to destroy the entire building. All that remains now are the skeletons of walls and burn marks in the concrete.

Kuroko doesn’t want to think about this anymore. He gets into the clawed-feet bath and sinks down so his head is under the water. He stays there until he’s running out of breath.

“I hope you’re not trying to drown yourself,” Kouki says. He sounds halfway between amused and concerned.

“No. Just… escaping for a bit.”

Kouki nods in understanding and doesn’t say any more, instead starting to wash Kuroko’s hair.

“Can I make a request?” Kuroko asks after a minute.

“For what?”

“Back home I used a vanilla shampoo. I was wondering if you could get some for me.”

"Ah, feeling a little homesick? Is that why you chose the vanilla candle last night?”

“Yes…”

“I’ll put in an order for you,” Kouki says with a smile.

“Can you get the matching conditioner and body wash too?”

“Of course.”

Kuroko can’t help but smile a little. It feels like a small victory. Somehow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *throwing kawaii clothes at Kuroko* LOOK CUTE, DAMMIT. 
> 
> [Here's the jumper he was wearing when outside with Akashi.](https://68.media.tumblr.com/9dddc5a8e8330ec93e0fa99a69dca011/tumblr_ohr1z0jojK1ucu7gco1_540.jpg)
> 
>  Takao's domestic is Izuki! The hawk and the eagle together ^0^
> 
> Thinking of adding Stockholm Syndrome as a tag....


	5. {5}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was debating whether or not to post this yet, but I decided fuck it. I'm going to post this and then I'm going to go to sleep for a very long time. 
> 
> This is the first AoKaga/AoKagaKuro chapter. It's mostly set in past tense, since most of this chapter is in 'flashback mode'. 
> 
> I figure you guys know from the tags that Kuroko was romantically involved with both Kagami and Aomine before he was kidnapped. If not, well. Surprise!

Aomine slams the door when he comes in. Kagami is at the dining table on his phone. He locks it and looks up.

“Fuck!” Aomine yells. He pulls out a chair at the table and drops into it, placing his head on the surface in front of him.

“I take it things didn’t go well?” Kagami asks gently. Aomine swears again and hits the table with his fist. “What happened?”

Aomine sighs and finally looks at Kagami. He looks tired. Neither of them have slept in days.

“Useless fucktards didn’t get me anywhere,” Aomine grunts. “Said they’ve hired new staff since the paper put out that ad, and they don’t know anything about Gatherers in the area.”

Kagami frowns.

They’d worked out pretty quickly that something was wrong. Three days ago, they were working a joint shift. They were doing separate deliveries around the city, and had left Kuroko at home, locking the place up tight and setting out traps to keep him safe.

Kuroko is never safe without them. But they have to work.

That morning had been like most other weekdays. Kuroko was up before the sun, and his job was to wake his two companions and get them ready for the day. They were particularly sleepy that morning, as it was a Friday, and they’d spent the whole week working. They were understandably exhausted, and Kuroko spent at least half an hour trying to drag them out of bed. Aomine likes to mess with him about being a housewife, since he gets them up, makes them breakfast, helps them dress, and then sends them off to work while he stays at home. Kuroko hates him for it.

They all live in Kuroko’s parents’ house, and they share the master bedroom, all piled up on the giant bed together at night. After Kuroko and Aomine’s parents died, Aomine -and Kagami, who was living with Aomine at the time- moved into Kuroko’s house. Kuroko was a scared little kid, and he would cling to Aomine and Kagami, refusing to let either of them leave him for even a moment. Aomine was the oldest of the three, and he had to look after them, but he’d just lost his parents too. Kagami, having been orphaned not that long ago himself, helped as much as he could, but they were all just kids. It’s been far from easy, but they take care of each other. They’re a family.

Kuroko is sly. He knows Aomine and Kagami too well, and finding himself unable to wake his companions that morning, he decided to try a different tactic.

Kagami is easier to wake than Aomine. He loves his beauty sleep, but he’s a relatively light sleeper, so Kuroko went to him first. He woke up gasping, and he pushed the blankets back to have light blue eyes meet his own as Kuroko teased him. Content now that his charge was awake, Kuroko stopped teasing, his little pink lips stretched around Kagami as he sunk down. It really didn’t take long, and Kagami shuddered when he came, groaning a little when he saw Kuroko’s Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed.

“Kuroko, what the hell?” Kagami moaned weakly.

Kuroko sat up, licking his lips. “You weren’t getting up,” he said simply.

“That is _so_ unfair.”

Kuroko shrugged. “Are you going to help me with Aomine-kun?”

Kagami did, surprisingly eagerly too, considering he was still half asleep.

“We’re going to get fired,” Kagami groaned when they were in the kitchen, Kuroko trying to hand him a plate of toast.

“So call ‘em and tell ‘em we’re running late,” Aomine said, taking Kagami’s toast for himself.

“It’s not my fault you two wouldn’t wake up,” Kuroko muttered, turning back to the bench to make more toast.

“Was all that _really_ necessary though?” Kagami asked.

They were well over an hour late for work, after all the many obscene things they did.

“Hey you seemed plenty into it,” Aomine said through a mouthful of toast.

Kagami blushed and went quiet. He couldn’t deny that.

“Take the day off then,” Kuroko said as he buttered the fresh toast. “You both have worked every day this week. They’ll understand. You’re their best workers, they’ll do anything you ask them.”

Kagami sighed. “Yeah but we just got the water bill. _Someone_ has been having too many hot showers,” he said, shooting a look at Aomine.

Aomine shrugged and put his feet up on the table.

“Do you want me to call and say you’re running late?” Kuroko asked, setting down a plate in front of Kagami.

“Yes, mum,” Aomine said.

“I would hope I’m not your mother after what I let you do to me this morning,” Kuroko said dryly. Aomine snorted and smacked him on his backside as he walked off. He was still only dressed in one of Kagami’s flannel shirts, his bare legs and just the slightest hint of his ass showing.

He returned after a few minutes to tell them that if they got there in twenty minutes, they’d be paid overtime. Kagami and Aomine practically inhaled the rest of their food.

“You don’t have any plans today, right?” Kagami asked Kuroko as Aomine fiddled with the security system.

“Not really. I’ll probably just flick through the paper after you go and then watch TV or read for the rest of the day.”

Kagami kissed his cheek. “Stay safe.”

They’d come home at 7pm, exhausted as they unlocked the many locks on the front door. Kuroko always comes to greet them when they get home, he’s usually already within view as the hallway with the door is connected to the living area. But Kuroko wasn’t there.

“Tetsu,” Aomine called out. “What’s for dinner? Bakagami’s too dead to cook anything.”

There was no answer.

Kagami gave Aomine a nervous glance. Without a word, they went further into the house. They searched the place top to bottom, but Kuroko wasn’t there.

“Where the hell is he?” Aomine asked, chewing on his fingernails. He only did that when he was scared. Kagami hadn’t seen him do it since the Gatherer incident two years ago.

“I don’t know, he said he was just going to stay in today,” Kagami said, trying to keep himself calm.

Aomine went to the security system panel to check it. “It hasn’t been touched,” he said after a minute. “It hasn’t gone off.”

“Then no one broke in…” Kagami said, thinking.

Aomine punched the wall, and Kagami flinched a little.

“I swear to fucking god, Tetsu,” Aomine muttered. “You better just be getting some fucking chocolate or some shit.”

Kagami told Aomine to stay at home, that he was going out to look for Kuroko. Aomine argued, saying he wanted to look too, but Kagami told him someone had to stay in case Kuroko came back, and since Aomine looked like he would happily slit the throat of anyone who so much as looked at him funny, Kagami said Aomine was staying.

Kagami went to every place they’d ever been before, searching until it was past midnight. But there was no sign of Kuroko anywhere. He went home, defeated, hoping maybe Kuroko had turned up there. Aomine jumped up when he opened the door, then his shoulders sagged when he saw that Kagami was alone, and Kagami knew Kuroko was really gone.

They didn’t sleep that night. They both went back out and went searching again together. They didn’t come home until the morning. As the shops started to open, they went to get coffee, Kagami mentioning he needed caffeine. Aomine had been silent for hours.

“Where’s Kuroko-chan?” the barista asked. She’s a first-generation woman, with short hair that’s starting to turn grey, and she always gives Kuroko free hot chocolates because she thinks he’s cute.

Aomine walked off without a word. Kagami watched him go with a sigh. “He’s missing,” he finally answered, his voice quiet from lack of sleep. It hurt to admit it out loud.

The barista though, had some news for them. Apparently, Kuroko stopped there in the late morning the day before, getting a hot chocolate before he went for a job. He’d chatted to the barista a little, saying he saw an ad offering money for DNA samples at the local genetics lab – the only one left in the area. Kagami barely even said goodbye before he was running to Aomine and grabbing him by the arm, throwing him into their car to drive to the lab.

It was closed. Weekend.

Today is Monday. Kagami said he would stay at home and watch the news and check his phone for any sort of update that could help them, while Aomine went to the lab. Though it seems the trip didn’t go over well.

“Could we sneak in or something?” Kagami asks. “Would they keep records of something like this?”

Aomine opens and closes his mouth a few times. “I- I guess? Maybe.”

“Well it’s worth a try,” Kagami says.

“What if there’s nothing?”

“Then we kidnap the director and torture him until he tells us where Kuroko is.” Kagami is dead serious.

Aomine manages a weak smile. “I like your thinking, Bakagami.”

Kagami smiles back. He stands up and walks around to Aomine, leaning down into him. He smells of anxiety and stress, but underneath it all, a glimmer of hope.

“We’ll get him back,” Kagami promises. Aomine nods.

He means it. He’ll find Kuroko. Even if it kills him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't sure how much detail I wanted on their, er, 'morning routine'. I ended up keeping it relatively light, which I think fits better than a full blown smut scene. I wanted to keep it all kind of wistful and moving quick, as Kagami, who this chapter is following, probably remembers that day a bit blurred now. Did it work? Idk, tell me what you think. 
> 
> Next chapter is back to Kuroko.


	6. {6}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hahahah this got real angsty REAL FAST
> 
> It was already angsty. But now it's just... ANGST INTENSIFIES
> 
> Reo and Ryouta make bigger appearances, though even more of them is coming later.

Kuroko figures he has two options. He can continue being unfriendly towards his husband, or he can suck up to him. Option one will end up with either him being left alone, free to plot his escape – or he’ll end up locked up even more until he decides to become more agreeable. Option two will see him either never alone again because Seijuurou will fall madly in love with him and refuse to leave his side – or Kuroko will be given the freedoms of a First Wife. And that means going outside. He doesn’t know what to do. If only he had access to a phone. He could call Aomine and Kagami and get their help. Maybe that should be his goal. Find a phone.

The curtains are thrown back and sunlight blinds him.

“Rise and shine!”

“You are far too happy about doing that,” Kuroko mumbles, shielding his eyes as he sits up.

Kouki grins. “Oh, this will also be the first morning that breakfast is brought to you not by me.”

Kuroko panics for a moment. Is he getting a new domestic? “Who’s bringing it to me?”

Kouki steps over to the dumbwaiter and taps it. “This friend.”

“Why didn’t the kitchen send me food that way before?”

“Well I wanted to bring it to you. I can still do that if you’d like, but I thought we’d try this way out too.”

A bell that must be built into the wall chimes, and Kouki squeaks in excitement. He presses the button beside the dumbwaiter and it opens, revealing a silver tray.

“Seeee?” he says, pulling it out. “Isn’t that fun?”

Kuroko smiles. “Yes, it is.”

Kouki sets the tray down and they begin their routine. They have that now - a routine. It’s only been a few days, but this is how it goes.

Kuroko has a Japanese breakfast today. He has a bowl of steamed rice that he tips soy sauce over like he did when he was a kid, as well as tamago and some vegetables. He’s been given iced tea as well. After his parents died, breakfast stopped being anything like this, usually ending up being just toast or fruit. Kuroko was in charge, since Kagami made lunch (except when he was working) and dinner. They put Aomine in charge of the washing up, though he often slacked off and the other two ended up doing it for him.

Kuroko wonders when he started thinking ‘was’ instead of ‘is’.

“When do you eat?” he asks Kouki.

The domestic has just returned from the bathroom and has dropped onto the end of the bed. “When I get up. I eat meals in the kitchen with the cooks.”

“How early do you get up?”

“At about four.”

Kuroko nods. It’s not an unusual hour to him really. He got up that early during the week back home. If he didn’t get up that early to wake his friends, Aomine and Kagami would be late for work. Actually, he thinks, they still often were.

“When did you get taken?” Kuroko asks, still picking away at his food.

“I wasn’t exactly ‘taken’, as you were,” Kouki says. He doesn’t seem offended or upset by the question at all. “I was from an orphanage. They bought me when I was about thirteen.”

“You’ve been here since then?”

Kouki nods. “Mmhm.”

“What did you do before I came?”

“Oh, lots of things. Cleaning and dusting, helping the kitchen staff. I acted as a tailor occasionally. Not for major things, but just small fixes when people couldn’t be bothered to hire someone expensive and proper,” Kouki explains. “I still do a lot of that.”

“You should have breakfast with me instead,” Kuroko says.

Kouki smiles. “I’d love that. As long as Seijuurou-sama doesn’t want your time.”

Kuroko feels a flare of something- anger, or maybe just annoyance. He knows it’s unpleasant, at least. He hasn’t seen his husband since yesterday morning, when they went into the cherry blossom garden at dawn. Ryouta was milling around the sitting room on their floor and complaining that he wanted attention the whole afternoon. Reo read, occasionally looking up at Ryouta with amusement. Kuroko doesn’t mind Reo. He’s incredibly proper and graceful, but he’s not stuck up. And he seems to act interested in his fellow wives’ wellbeing, telling Ryouta to eat if he’s going to pace so much, or asking if Kuroko is drinking enough water as the temperature is warming up with spring. He’s nice to the staff as well. Kuroko doesn’t see his domestic much, or Ryouta’s for that matter, only at mealtimes, but Kouki is often hanging around on their floor somewhere, and Reo treats him decently. He’s not exactly _friendly_ to him, but he’s polite and fair, unlike Ryouta, who is a spoiled brat and who makes very fussy demands.

“Where is he anyway?” Kuroko asks his domestic after a while. “I didn’t see him yesterday at all.”

“I believe he went over to a friend’s house. He took Midorima-sama and Kazunari-san and their sisters with him, I think.”

Kuroko nods, staring at his lap. After a moment, he asks, “How old is Seijuurou?” It occurs to him that he doesn’t actually know. He really doesn’t know _anything_ about his husband. He’s been told to not use an honorific – they’re married, they’re meant to be intimate – but Kuroko doesn’t like saying his name so casually. He winces when he says the name.

“He’s twenty,” Kouki answers.

“How old are _you_?”

The domestic looks a little surprised, as if he doesn’t know why Kuroko is asking about him. “I’m the same age as you. Sixteen. Are you done there?” he asks, nodding towards the silver tray in Kuroko’s lap.

He nods and they get up, Kouki puts the tray in the dumbwaiter and they head into the bathroom.

“Now I got most of what you asked for,” Kouki says. “I didn’t get the body wash but I found some bath bombs that are vanilla scented, so I got some of them. Is that all right?”

Kuroko nods. “By the way,” he says slowly as he gets undressed. “Why does Seijuurou want to put me in dresses?”

“Mm… he thinks they suit you,” Kouki answers, producing one of the aforementioned bath bombs from the cabinet under the sink and plopping it into the water. “And they do.”

“I suppose.”

“You don’t like them?”

Kuroko makes a face as he struggles to find words. “They’re nice, but- I don’t know, I feel strange wearing them. I feel like a doll.”

“That’s probably the idea,” Kouki says with an amused smile.

Kuroko frowns. “I feel exposed in them too. The longer ones are better, but still…”

“Well I can help with that,” Kouki says, starting to lather Kuroko’s hair with shampoo. It’s vanilla, just like back home.

At least Kuroko has a little bit of familiarity.

“How?”

“Bloomers!”

“What’s that?”

“They’re pants that you were under these types of dresses.”

Well that’s something at least.

After his bath, Kuroko looks for something relatively normal to wear. There’s jeans in his wardrobe, but they’re just as cutesy as everything else, with high waists or embroidery or heart-shaped buttons. Most of them are in pastel colours too. He picks out a pair of pale blueish-purple ones with lace edging the pockets, then pokes around for a top. He finds a soft, lavender button-up blouse with white ribbons that tie in a bow at the Peter Pan collar, and he figures it’s probably the least over the top thing he’s going to get. He wonders if Seijuurou really thinks he’s a boy, with all the feminine and frilly things in here.

Kouki leaves, saying he has some chores to attend to, but to call him if needed. Kuroko heads out into the hall, trying to think of something to do. He first goes to the sitting room, finding it empty. There’s not a huge amount to do in the sitting room besides sit, there’s a piano, but Kuroko doesn’t know how to play. He goes to the library next. The library is massive. Kuroko has to wonder exactly how big this mansion is if the wives have their own library this huge. It could be its own house.

Kuroko loves books, he always has. His parents used to read to him in bed when he was little, and they always bought him books for his birthday. After they died and Aomine and Kagami moved in, he refused to let them sell his books. They sold his father’s expensive encyclopaedias, but Kuroko refused to let them touch his and his mother’s books. A lot of them ended up in a storage unit, but Kuroko always kept a few around the house to read while his friends were at work.

He wanders into the library, just sort of drifting aimlessly. He finds Reo at one end, by the stained glass arched windows, curled up in one of the antique armchairs with a book in his hands. He glances up and nods in greeting.

“Morning,” he says, looking back at his book.

“Good morning,” Kuroko replies. He sits down in the chair beside Reo. “Where’s Ryouta-kun?” he asks after a moment.

“Honorifics, remember?” (The wives aren’t meant to use them with each other either.) “And having breakfast with our husband, I believe.”

Kuroko doesn’t understand how Ryouta loves it here so much. Does he not remember what happened to the other omegas in the van? Did he not leave behind anyone he loves?

Kuroko looks at Reo, studying him a little. He seems neither happy nor unhappy, he’s sort of just existing. Kuroko wonders what he actually feels. He knows how to read, and he speaks eloquently, so he’s had some form of education. Where did he come from? Bought from another orphanage like Ryouta? Was he tricked like Kuroko was? Or was he just plucked off the street as he walked home?

Kuroko says nothing more to him, and instead gets up to walk the aisles of the library. There’s every kind of book in here, from old tomes from hundreds of years ago, to books from Kuroko’s time. Despite the world ending, there’s still plenty of media; books, movies, plays, music. There’s artists of all kinds, everyone trying to pretend that the world’s children aren’t dying. At least it means Kuroko always has something to do.

He plucks a book off one of the shelves, a novel about an underwater city, and goes to sit beside Reo again. For a while they read in silence, then Reo appears to become bored, and he gets up, leaving his book on the little table between their chairs, and wanders off. Not long after, Kuroko hears a piano playing. There’s another piano in the library, a grand one made of polished black wood. Reo’s music is nice. It’s elegant, just like him, and Kuroko finds it relaxing to listen to as he reads. After a while Reo returns to the chairs, picking up his book again. They don’t speak much, though occasionally they ask each other how their read is.

Sometime during the morning, Ryouta turns up. “There you are,” he says when he finds them. “I was looking for you.”

“Why?” Reo asks, barely giving him a glance.

“I dunno.” He sits on the floor at their feet, facing them. “Do you suppose we’ll get to go outside on our own soon?”

“Who knows?” Reo says.

“I can see lots of things in the gardens from my window,” Ryouta says.

“That’s nice.”

The blonde pouts, clearly unhappy with the lack of interest. “Do you want to do something?” he asks after a while of silence.

“Like what?”

Ryouta shrugs. “There’s holograms in the sitting room.”

“Maybe we should ask for a television,” Reo says, though he doesn’t sound like he actually cares.

“Ooh that’s a good idea! I never got to watch TV much at the orphanage. And never any fun things, we only got to see a bit of news before dinner.”

“Mmhm.”

“I’m going to go play with the holograms.”

When he’s walked off, Reo looks up at Kuroko. “At least someone’s having fun here.”

“You’re not having fun?” Kuroko asks.

Reo laughs hollowly. “Does it matter?”

Kuroko thinks yes, it does, but he doesn’t say anything else. Around lunchtime, Kouki, as well as Reo’s domestic, come and find them with their meals. Except Reo’s domestic doesn’t have a tray.

“Did you forget something?” Reo asks with a raised brow and a slight smile.

“Your husband requests that you have lunch with him,” his domestic says.

“Well he could have given me a bit more notice. How rude.”

His domestic rolls his eyes. “Get moving.”

“Tsk tsk, Chihiro, you’re so horrible to me,” Reo says, smiling as he follows his domestic out.

“Kouki-kun,” Kuroko says as the brunette is setting down his tray.

“You know you’re not meant to use an honorific with me, but yes?”

“If Ryouta had breakfast with Seijuurou, and now Reo’s having lunch with him, does that mean-?”

Kouki smiles. “Correct. He has informed me he wants your company for dinner.”

“Is his father going to be there again?”

“No, this is a private dinner. Just you two,” Kouki smiles. “Do you need anything else?”

“No, thank you…”

“Okay, I’ll be back.”

Kuroko slumps in his chair, feeling kind of like a sulking child. He’s not out of his right to be unhappy though, he tells himself. There’s likely no way out of it too. He could try faking sick, but then Seijuurou might want to take care of him. He’s a bit of an unknown. Kuroko doesn’t know him well enough to predict his moves. He’s not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing.

After a while of reading by himself, he gets up and goes to find Ryouta. He’s in the sitting room, though it looks a bit different from Kuroko’s last memory of it. There’s now sand filling the floor, and it’s far warmer than it should be for this time of year, especially with the air-conditioning. Kuroko can hear seagulls and lapping waves, though he can’t see either.

“Er, what happened in here?” he asks.

Ryouta looks up from where he’s sitting in the sand. “Isn’t it cool!? It’s the hologram!”

“This looks like a bit more than just a hologram,” Kuroko says, testing out the sand. It feels real.

“Well I don’t know, that’s what they’re labelled as. It’s some sort of illusion.”

“Again, this seems like a bit more than just an illusion. I can feel the heat on the sand.”

Ryouta’s eyes are sparkling. “Yeah, it’s awesome!”

“How do we… clean it up?”

“Uh unplug it, I guess?”

Kuroko lifts his foot to inspect it and sees that no sand has actually stuck to him. Interesting… He goes over and sits down with Ryouta, who’s making a sandcastle. Kuroko decides to help him, and they end up building a massive castle with multiple buildings, a giant wall around the exterior, and moats. Ryouta even builds a stable.

“What do we do now?” he asks.

“I guess we turn it off,” Kuroko replies.

Ryouta pouts. “But we spent so much time on it.”

“We can’t just leave it here for eternity.”

“Why not?”

“How about we build another one tomorrow?”

Ryouta perks up. “Okay! You destroy it when I leave. I don’t want to see it go.”

He may be childish, but Ryouta _is_ kind of charming.

* * *

Kuroko goes back to his room as evening starts creeping in, he doesn’t particularly want to be around the other wives when he’s called for dinner. He ends up pacing around his room, not really thinking of anything and just sort of _panicking_. The sun is setting, his room painted in shades of gold, and there’s a knock at the door.

“Tetsuya-san?”

Kuroko’s shoulders sag a little. “Come in.”

Kouki walks in with a small smile. He has what appears to be a garment bag hooked over his arm.

“I have some things for you,” he says. He walks over to the bed and sits the bag down. “Come and look.”

Kuroko walks over to him, and he makes a little noise when his domestic unzips the bag. “What is _that_?”

There’s a very obvious dress sitting inside the bag, but that’s not what Kuroko has focused on. No, what he took notice of first is the set of lacy lingerie on top.

“I thought you might be unsure about that,” Kouki says gently. He sighs. “I don’t really have an explanation you’re going to like.”

“Can I refuse?”

“Yes, you can.” Kouki looks concerned, and Kuroko is getting a bad feeling from this.

“He’s not going to know if I don’t wear it,” he says.

“Perhaps. But you’re married. Sooner or later something is going to happen,” Kouki says softly, not meeting Kuroko’s gaze. “If not tonight… Well.”

Kuroko stares at the delicate items laid out for him, not speaking and just processing everything.

“Did he ask for this?” he says after a while.

“Sort of. He was kind of vague about it, but this is what he wants,” Kouki answers.

Kuroko doesn’t want to give Seijuurou what he wants. But he feels like if he resists, it’s not going to be just him who gets punished.

“Fine,” he says, though it’s more of a whisper.

Kouki pats his shoulder. “I’ll wait outside.”

After the door shuts, Kuroko reluctantly takes off his clothes. He picks up the pair of underwear, inspecting them before he puts them on. They’re made of delicate pastel blue lace, with little pink ribbon bows. It’s not even that he doesn’t like them, he really doesn’t care, in fact if Aomine or Kagami asked him to, he’d probably wear things like this for them. It’s the fact that it’s this unknown, unwanted husband making him do it that’s the problem.

He slips on the underwear, disturbed at how comfortable they actually are, then picks up the matching top. It’s not exactly a bra, but a sort of sleep bustier. There’s no plastic boning in it, and the parts that would cover breasts are small enough that it won’t gape or look awkward on him. The fabric is a pastel blue velvet, with pink lace edging the sweetheart neckline. There’s decorative ribbon lacing and more tiny pink bows. Kuroko pulls it on and walks over to the full-length mirror that stands on little silver feet by his wardrobe door.

He looks amazing. Yet he still frowns. He hopes he’s going to be the only one to see this tonight.

He quickly puts on the dress that lies in the bag, a delicate, pale blue dress with a chiffon white overlay that turns into ruffles at the hem. There’s panels of white lace on the bodice, and the puff sleeves are made of the same chiffon that sits over the skirt. Kuroko feels a bit like a cake. A very ruffley cake. He finds a petticoat in his wardrobe and slides it on, fluffing out the skirt to sit properly.

“Kouki,” he murmurs through the door. “You can come back in.”

The domestic steps inside, smiling at the sight before him.

“You look lovely,” he says. “Hang on, I’ll fetch you some shoes.”

Kuroko stands in front of the mirror and stares at himself, fiddling with his bell-shaped skirt until Kouki returns with some lace-topped socks and a pair of powder blue shoes with bows. He clicks them together with a smile and sets them on the floor.

“Ready then?” he asks when Kuroko is wearing the new items.

“As I’ll ever be, I guess.”

Kouki gives him a sad sort of smile and then guides him out of the room.

“Kouki?” Kuroko asks as they’re in the elevator.

“Yes?”

“I’ll be back tonight. I’m going to have breakfast with you tomorrow. In my own room.”

Kouki smiles and pats his arm. “I believe you will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, dinner with Akashi. I wonder how it will go? 
> 
> [Here's the underwear top Kuroko's wearing.](https://68.media.tumblr.com/e8d4fe1a0ac584af37edf821e50f7bba/tumblr_oht9xlVZvk1ucu7gco1_540.jpg)
> 
> [Aaand the dress.](https://68.media.tumblr.com/fc30924eaa9b5d4ef50ebabc2e0a808d/tumblr_oht9xlVZvk1ucu7gco2_500.jpg)
> 
> welp.


	7. {7}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This entire thing is just unbeta'd because my beta isn't in the right state of mind to be editing right now and I have no one else lmao. 
> 
> If I say people's names too many times, pls let me know. It's 2am and I am tired.

Kuroko stands, his feet shuffling nervously, outside his husband’s door as Kouki knocks. It opens a few moments later, and Kuroko’s heart jolts when Seijuurou smiles at him. He’s not in the western clothes Kuroko has seen him in previously, now dressed in a burgundy yukata. He looks so… normal.

He looks at Kouki. “Thank you for bringing him.”’

The domestic nods, then bows and scurries off.

“Come in,” Seijuurou says with a small wave of his hand.

Kuroko does, walking into the room, giving it a subtle glance. It’s big, much bigger than his own room. It’s similar though, with doors that Kuroko assumes lead to a bathroom and a walk-in-wardrobe, there’s a vanity and a giant bed with curtains. But as well as being generally bigger, it also has some extra features, such as a table and armchairs setup in one corner as well as a few bookcases and some sort of study desk. Seijuurou’s room is also decorated in reds, while Kuroko’s is blue.

Seijuurou’s hand touches between Kuroko’s shoulder blades, guiding him over to the table.

“I thought we were having dinner,” Kuroko says, eyeing the bare table.

“We are in a moment. First I’d like to talk.”

“About?”

“About you.”

Kuroko studies Seijuurou’s face for a moment. He seems genuinely interested.

“Why do you want to get to know us?” Kuroko asks.

“Do you find it odd? Why is that? Why is it so strange that I would want to get to know you first?”

“You don’t seem the type,” Kuroko says, narrowing his eyes.

“You don’t really know much about me to assume ‘my type’,” Seijuurou says, looking amused.

“Then what _is_ your type?”

“I’d prefer to show you rather than tell you. You said you can read. Where did you learn?”

Kuroko stares at him for a moment, then, “My parents taught me.”

“Are they alive?”

“Not anymore.”

“Were they the new generation?”

“No, first generation.”

“How did they pass on then? If you don’t mind my asking.”

“Rebel protesters,” Kuroko says, looking at his hands. “There was a bomb.”

At the edge of his vision, Kuroko can see that Seijuurou looks pensive. “I’m sorry,” his husband says softly.

Kuroko nods. He doesn’t accept the sympathy, but he’s not exactly rejecting it either.

“What makes you happy, Tetsuya?”

He looks up. “Pardon?”

“I said, what makes you happy?”

“That’s a weird question…”

“Is it? I’m trying to find out more about you. I want to know your personality,” Seijuurou says. His smile is gentle, and Kuroko finds it unnerving.

He sighs. “Um… Reading. I read a lot.”

“What do you read?”

“Anything. Everything. I like novels, but I like history books too.”

Seijuurou smiles. “What else do you like?”

Kuroko thinks for a moment. “I like animals. There’s a pet store in the city that I sometimes visited. I liked playing with the puppies.”

“I like animals too,” Seijuurou says. “We have stables and horses here. No puppies though, I’m afraid.”

“Horses are still good…”

“If you’d like, I can show you them tomorrow.”

Kuroko’s eyes widen a little. “Go outside again?”

Seijuurou tilts his head. “Yes. I can take you for a ride if you want as well.”

“I don’t know about that… I don’t know how…”

“You won’t need to. All you’ll have to do is hold on.”

“Maybe…”

There’s a knock on the door, and then Midorima is walking in carrying two trays.

“I can’t believe you make me do this,” he mutters under his breath as he sets them down.

“This is what you get for leeching off of my family, Shintarou,” Seijuurou says with an amused smile. “Thank you, by the way.”

Midorima grunts and then leaves again.

Seijuurou catches Kuroko staring at him in confusion, and he says, “I pay him to act as my servant sometimes. He does it willingly, but he’s always complaining about it.”

“You’re a strange person…” Kuroko murmurs.

“Am I?” Seijuurou asks rhetorically.

“Kouki-kun said you’re vegan,” Kuroko says suddenly, looking over the food that has no trace of meat.

Seijuurou smiles. “That’s correct.”

“Can I ask why?”

“A few reasons. I don’t particularly like the taste and texture of meat, first of all. Add on the fact that meatless and dairy-free diets are far healthier, and also the fact that I don’t like harming creatures unless it’s necessary.”

Kuroko stares at him. “That doesn’t make sense,” he says, his tone slightly angered.

“Why do you say that?”

“Do you not remember what happened to the other omegas in the Gatherer van?” Kuroko asks. His voice is steady and calm, yet full of rage for the ones who didn’t make it.

Seijuurou exhales slowly. “Yes… That was unfortunate.”

“ _Unfortunate_ ,” Kuroko repeats, barely believing what he’s just heard.

“I told them to set the others free. I had no idea of their true intentions until it was too late. It’s regrettable, but I did not ask for it,” Seijuurou says, and he looks just as intense as Kuroko feels.

“I don’t understand you at all,” Kuroko whispers.

Seijuurou smiles ruefully. “I’m complex and contradictory. You’re finding that out already.”

Kuroko goes quiet, not wanting to talk about this anymore.

“I apologise for upsetting you,” Seijuurou says after a minute of silence.

“How can you be so okay with this?” Kuroko asks, his voice barely above a whisper.

“You ask me if I have regrets. Of course I do. But for the sake of humanity, sometimes there must be sacrifices. I don’t like it any more than you do. But it’s not up to me.”

That isn’t making him feel any better. “I don’t want to discuss this,” Kuroko says.

“Of course. Your dinner will go cold,” Seijuurou points out.

They eat in silence, though Kuroko barely touches his food.

“Are you done?” Seijuurou asks him after a while of watching him push things around his plate.

“I suppose.” He looks up. “What now?”

“I want you to come with me for a minute.”

Seijuurou stands and holds out his hand. Kuroko takes it reluctantly, letting himself be led out of the room. They go into the elevator, and Seijuurou takes him through more hallways until they’re suddenly outside. Kuroko is hyperaware of their clasped hands, and he feels like he should pull away, but at the same time he wants to know where they’re going. They pass a large field, and Kuroko feels a little overwhelmed at how huge this place actually is. Seijuurou leads him to a building at one end of the field, and Kuroko can smell farm animals and hay.

“The stables?” he asks.

“I thought I’d show you early.”

They walk into the building, and Seijuurou leads him to the end, stopping in front of a stall with a pure white horse. The horse looks up at them, and it walks over to the door. Seijuurou lets go of Kuroko’s hand and strokes the horse’s face, a gentle smile on his lips. Kuroko stares at him, unsure what to make of this.

“Her name’s Yukimaru,” Seijuurou says softly. “She was born the same year as me. We’ve been together forever.” He looks at Kuroko. “Do you want to pet her?”

“S-Sure.”

Kuroko’s never even seen a horse in real life before, let alone touched one, and he’s a little nervous at how big she actually is. But Seijuurou is still stroking the side of her face, and she’s just standing there so calmly. Kuroko steps a little closer, reaching up and gently stroking the horse’s face. She snorts softly, as if she’s pleased, and Kuroko smiles a little. She’s harder than he was expecting, but her short fur is like velvet.

“Touch her muzzle,” Seijuurou says, smiling wider.

Kuroko does, stroking his fingertips over the dark grey skin of her muzzle, and he’s surprised at how soft it is.

“It feels silky,” he says with wide eyes.

Seijuurou laughs and nods. “It’s nice, isn’t it? She likes having her nose touched.”

He moves his hand to also stroke her muzzle, and it brushes over Kuroko’s for a moment. He doesn’t seem to notice that Kuroko’s heart nearly jumps out of his chest, just happily continuing to pet the horse. Kuroko looks at him. He’s smiling so earnestly, with such love and compassion…

Kuroko really does not get Akashi Seijuurou at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all were hoping for a sex scene, weren't you? Sorry to disappoint XD But Kuroko's not ready for that quite yet, and Akashi is actually very respectful. 
> 
> The character he's taken the role of from the original book, Linden, is also very respectful. At no point in the book does he ever force himself on his wives. He sleeps with Cecily and Jenna (Kise and Reo), but they were consenting. Linden never laid a hand on Rhine (Kuroko) and respected her completely. He didn't give up on her, but at no point did he cross any lines. 
> 
> My point is, Kuroko is still negative towards Akashi. If I put a sex scene in now, it would be rape. I'm not opposed to rape in fiction, it can make a good story, and it happens in real, so why shouldn't it happen in fiction? But I don't want this story to be one of abuse. 
> 
> Kuroko *is* going to fall for him. But it's going to take time. Understand his situation, he's been taken from the people he considers family, and locked up and forced to marry a total stranger, who he's expected to have children with. He's going to warm up to Akashi (he already is) but it's not going to be overnight.


	8. { This Feeling }

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **now posted in main work - I found out u can do that**
> 
> .^. 
> 
> I reread the earlier chapters (which I had not done before because EURGH my own writing, no thanks, how gross) and was reminded of how, well, speedy things went. This story is meant to be slow-burn and yet because of the timeskip I did, it doesn't really... well, burn slow. 
> 
> So I wrote this to kinda bridge it a little. I mean it's still terrible, don't get me wrong here. But hopefully it's a little better at least.

Seijuurou escorts Kuroko back to his room after spending a while in the stables. This time when he leaves, he lets his fingertips linger on Kuroko’s arm for a moment before he walks off with a soft ‘goodnight’. Kuroko presses his back to his closed door when he’s inside, closing his eyes and sighing. He doesn’t know what just happened.

After a while of standing there and just breathing, he moves to his wardrobe to get undressed. He could call Kouki and have some company and a bath, and Kuroko sort of wants that, but at the same time he just wants to suffer in silence too. He pulls off the fluffy layers, leaving the worn items in the laundry basket he’s been given. Kuroko glances down his body at the lingerie he’s wearing, poking at the ribbons and bows. It almost feels like it could be normal, like maybe he’s surprising Aomine and Kagami with these. But then he looks back up and sees the rest of the frilly clothes, and he knows that that’s just a faraway dream. He strips the underwear off and all but throws them into the basket, grabbing more normal things to wear to bed and heading back out. He’s exhausted, as it seems he has been his whole time here, and he drops onto his bed, not even sliding under the covers because he’s too tired to bother. He falls asleep instantly.

When Kuroko wakes up, the room is dark. The curtains on the window have been closed, though Kuroko’s pretty sure they were open when he went to bed. He sits up, rubbing his sleep filled eyes, and looks to his nightstand to see a paper note. He picks it up and reads it.

_Tetsuya-san,_  
_I decided to let you sleep in this morning, so just ring me when you wake up. Or you can ring the kitchen directly if you want food straight away, use the blue button.  
_ _-Kouki_

Kuroko sets the note down and yawns. He’d like to see Kouki. He needs some sort of comforting buffer right now, and he’s not sure Ryouta or Reo could do the job. He presses the white call button, and then settles back down against his pillows to wait. The domestic turns up within ten minutes, carrying another silver tray of breakfast and wearing a gentle smile.

“How did you sleep?” he asks as he sets down the tray.

“Okay,” Kuroko answers.

“How did dinner go?”

“Okay?”

“You sound unsure of that,” Kouki says. He passes Kuroko the breakfast tray when Kuroko doesn’t make a move towards it on his own.

“I don’t know, I-” Kuroko pauses and sighs. “He’s not what I expected.”

Kouki smiles. “I told you he’s not terrible.”

“I don’t know about that…” Kuroko murmurs.

“You’ll warm up to him. Especially if you’re having dinner every day.”

“So that’s going to be a daily thing?” Kuroko asks, narrowing his eyes slightly.

“That’s what I’ve been told. Your breakfast is going cold, by the way.”

* * *

 

 “I’m going to call you Tetsucchi!”

Kuroko stares at the bubbly blonde. “Why?”

“Because you’re my friend!” Ryouta says, smiling wider. “Aren’t we friends?”

“Sure, we’re friends,” Kuroko nods.

“Yay!” Ryouta hugs him.

Reo is sitting in one of the armchairs, watching them with a small smile. “Careful there, Ryou-chan, you’ll strangle him,” he says.

It’s the afternoon, after Reo has had lunch with Seijuurou but before Kuroko has dinner with him. Ryouta lets go of Kuroko and drops to the floor, lying down.

“I want Seicchi to pay attention to us,” he whines.

“You saw him at breakfast,” Reo reminds him.

“Yeah, but we didn’t _do_ anything.”

Reo smiles. “What were you hoping would happen?”

Ryouta blushes. “I dunno…”

“Just enjoy your youth,” Reo says.

“Youth doesn’t mean much when I’m going to die in a few years anyway,” Ryouta says. “Besides, the point of us being here is to have-”

“We get it,” Kuroko interrupts. He feels like he wants to throw up again.

Ryouta huffs and then lies back down on his back. “I’m just bored.”

“We’re well aware,” Reo says. “Read a book. There’s plenty in the library.”

“I’ll play the piano,” Ryouta says, ignoring Reo’s suggestion.

He gets up and shuffles over to the piano in the sitting room. When he starts to play, Kuroko decides he’s had enough socialising, and he leaves, heading for the library to find something to distract himself with. He finds a decent sounding book and then takes it back to his room to read in peace. He’s so engrossed in the novel that he doesn’t look up until his door is opening and Kouki is coming in.

“Good book?” the domestic asks.

Kuroko looks at the window to see that the sky has darkened. “Apparently. Is it dinnertime already?”

Kouki nods. “Time to get ready.”

The domestic puts him in a different kind of dress this time, not one of the longer, puffy, petticoat skirts, but a shorter one made of white lace and with pink bows on the shoulder straps.

“This is way too short,” Kuroko complains when he’s wearing it.

Kouki says nothing and goes into the wardrobe, returning a minute later with a small pair of white shorts.

“Put these on underneath,” he says.

“I would prefer the solution be a longer skirt,” Kuroko says dryly as he slips the shorts on.  

“You’ll be fine. I doubt Seijuurou-sama is going to be peeking up it or anything.”

“Then why is he putting me in such a short dress?”

“Oh, that was my choice, not his!”

“Wonderful.”

Kouki clips a small bow into his hair and presents him with a pair of flat (thankfully) shoes, and then tugs him off down the hallway to the elevator. They head up to Seijuurou’s room and Kouki knocks, and bows and scurries off when the door opens.

“We’re going outside for dinner this evening,” Seijuurou says with a smile.

“Outside?” Kuroko says, confused.

“You’ll see,” Seijuurou says, his eyes twinkling.

He takes Kuroko down more levels in the elevator, and he leads him outside. They’re in the cherry blossom garden again. He takes Kuroko over to the gazebo that they got married under, and Kuroko is surprised to see a picnic-like setup, blankets laid out and plates and cups atop them.

“I thought it might be nice in the evening breeze,” Seijuurou explains.

Kuroko nods, letting his husband help him up the small steps to sit down.

“So, what’s for dinner?” he asks, eyeing the dishes as Seijuurou sets up.

“Mizuna salad and tofu with kimchi. Kazunari has been ordering kimchi by the bucketful, so I thought maybe we should use some.”

“He won’t mind if we steal a bit?” Kuroko asks, feeling a twinge in his chest when Seijuurou smiles as he sniffs the food.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine. He can’t live on kimchi only.”

“I’ve been told I can’t live on vanilla milkshakes but I manage just fine,” Kuroko says.

Seijuurou smiles, his eyes widening a little. “Vanilla milkshakes. I’ll have one for you tomorrow night then.”

Kuroko looks away, finding his husband’s gaze too intense. “Thank you…”

“Tetsuya, I-”

Kuroko glances up, seeing Seijuurou looking at his lap.

“I want to apologise. For this happening to you.” Seijuurou looks up at him and continues. “My father told me that you were all volunteers. That you willingly came into this. Obviously, I know better. Even before the omegas being killed in the van, I knew you didn’t want to be here.”

“Then why did you go ahead with it?” Kuroko asks softly.

“Maybe I’m too much of a coward to stand up to my father. Maybe I was lonely too. But I’m sorry. This can’t be easy.”

Kuroko doesn’t really know what to say.

“He arranged for this, not me. I didn’t stop him, but… I don’t know. Maybe that will lessen your pain somehow.” Seijuurou gives Kuroko a little smile. “I still hope you’ll like me though.”

“I- I don’t know…” Kuroko says.

“That’s fine for now. But I’ll continue to try to convince you not to hate me. I can’t stand the thought of you hating me.”

Kuroko stares at him. Seijuurou starts to eat again, not looking at him. Kuroko eventually goes back to his own food, feeling kind of in a daze. This man is too nice, too gentle. How is Kuroko meant to hate him when he’s acting so sweet like this?

* * *

 Dinner with Seijuurou the next night is different again. This time Kuroko is taken to the stables. At first, he thinks this is going to be terrible as they set down plates at a table near the horses. But Seijuurou looks so happy the whole time, and he keeps wandering over to Yukimaru to feed her bits of apple from their dessert platters, and Kuroko can’t help but smile at how excited they both get. Then he realises what he’s doing and he forces a straight face.

“Do you want to try feeding her?” Seijuurou asks, looking over his shoulder with a wide grin.

Kuroko nods, taking a piece of apple and approaching them. Yukimaru whinnies excitedly.

“Hold your palm out flat, with the apple on top,” Seijuurou instructs, gently moving Kuroko’s hand into position.

Kuroko feels himself shaking a little. He holds his hand out and Yukimaru gently takes it from him, moving her jaw as she crunches on the fruit.

“She likes you,” Seijuurou says, smiling.

“Just because I gave her food,” Kuroko replies.  
  
Seijuurou laughs. “No, trust me, she likes you. She must know you’re important.” He strokes the horse’s face, leaving Kuroko to shakily wobble back to his chair.

Kuroko watches them silently. He’s not ready to accept what he’s feeling just yet.


	9. {9}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I struggled with this one a bit. Idk why writer's block suddenly hit me now of all times. It wasn't so bad, but I procrastinated this a bit. Got seduced by Skyrim a few times. 
> 
> Since some of you aren't so keen on Akashi ships that aren't Akakuro, I shall warn you that there is some implied Akakise in this chapter. Nothing too heavy. They barely even interact. But still. Do with this what you will.

Days pass, and a new routine is established. Every morning, Seijuurou and Ryouta have breakfast, then Seijuurou has lunch with Reo, and finally, he has dinner with Kuroko. Every night, Kuroko is presented with another beautiful dress, though he’s been skipping the underwear, quite confident that Seijuurou isn’t going to make a move on him – he hasn’t touched Kuroko thus far, he seems to be sticking with his plan of getting to know them first. The days sort of blend together, and Kuroko isn’t really sure how much time has passed – he has no clock or calendar, and he supposes he could ask someone, but maybe he doesn’t want to know.

Occasionally Kazunari turns up on the wives’ floor to pester Kuroko. He seems to be fond of him the most, though he gets along with Ryouta as well, the two causing mischief whenever they can before Midorima comes and breaks up their plotting. When the troublesome pair aren’t together, Kazunari usually trails Kuroko around the library. Kuroko doesn’t speak to him a huge amount, mostly just listens to him bantering about random topics or telling embarrassing anecdotes about Midorima. Once he asks if Kuroko wants to meet his and Midorima’s sisters, which Kuroko turns down, as politely as he can manage. He’s really not ready to be around any children just yet.

As the days (weeks?) have gone by, Kuroko has slowly warmed up to Seijuurou, just like Kouki said he would. Kuroko kind of hates himself for it, but at the same time, Seijuurou has been so nice. Kuroko is confused. His whole life he’s thought that the house governors who had brides kidnapped for them would be awful, cruel, and abusive, but if things had been different, Kuroko might have even been _friends_ with Seijuurou. Though he’s starting to think that maybe it would also be more…

He hears a noise. First, he freezes. His bedcurtains are open, and he can see that the door is still closed. But that was definitely a bang, as if someone had thrown themselves against the door. He slips out of bed, his feet quiet on the soft blue carpet, and goes to the door.

“Hello?” he says carefully.

“Tetsucchi,” Ryouta’s voice moans weakly.

Kuroko opens the door, finding his sister wife collapsed on the floor, and he’s immediately hit with a strong scent. Ryouta’s trademark coconut and summertime rain smells are there, but layered over the top is the unmistakable scent of an omega in heat. Kuroko drops to the floor, inspecting him.

“When did this happen?” he asks softly. Ryouta is covered in sweat, panting gently, with his shirt hanging off his shoulder.

“Twenty- minutes ago, haah,” Ryouta breathes, clinging to Kuroko.

“Can you stand?”

“Think so,” he says.

Kuroko helps him to his feet, helping carry him inside, the task difficult as although Ryouta is very slender, he’s still far bigger than Kuroko. He lays the blonde down on his bed, then hurries to the door and shuts and locks it. The doors can be locked from the inside, though they can be opened with a key as there’s no bolts, but it’s the idea more than anything that he’s clinging to. He returns to the bed and sits down, brushing back Ryouta’s fringe and feeling his forehead. He’s burning up.

“I can call for my domestic,” Kuroko suggests.

Ryouta nods and moans a little. “ _Please_.”

Kuroko leans over and presses the white button above his nightstand. It makes a soft ‘ding’ in response. Kuroko sits with Ryouta until there’s a knock at the door.

“Tetsuya-san? Why is your door locked? Did you call for me?”

Kuroko gets up and goes to open it. Kouki steps inside, looking worried, especially so when Kuroko locks the door again.

“Oh,” the domestic says a moment later when the smell hits him. He scurries over to the bed, peering over the suffering omega. “Sit with him, I’ll fetch some towels,” he says.

Kuroko does, sitting back down and gently rubbing Ryouta’s forearm. He’s squirming a little in his discomfort. Kouki returns from the bathroom a minute later holding damp towels, and he places them across Ryouta’s body, one on his forehead and one across on his stomach. Ryouta sighs happily, his features relaxing a little.

“Do you suppose this means he and Seijuurou will…?” Kuroko trails off.

“Perhaps. That is, after all, what Ryouta-san is here for,” Kouki says. He puts a hand on Kuroko’s shoulder. “He _wants_ that though. Don’t worry, he’ll be okay.”

“Why didn’t he call his own domestic?” Kuroko asks.

Kouki smiles. “He likes you a lot. You may be younger than him, but I think he sees you as a bit of an older brother.”

Kuroko stares at Ryouta in stunned silence. He seems to have fallen asleep, or if he’s awake, he’s not acknowledging the conversation at all. Kuroko brushes his fingers through his silky golden locks. He supposes he does see Ryouta as like a younger sibling. He wants to protect him. Maybe from Seijuurou, maybe not. But he feels like he has to look out for Ryouta.

Kouki leaves them after a while, and Kuroko falls back to sleep beside his sister wife. He’s disturbed from sleep eventually by what he thinks is a knock at the door, and he blinks his eyes open to see sunlight streaming through the curtains. He sits up when he sees Seijuurou in the doorway.

“How is he?” Seijuurou asks softly. He shuts the door and approaches the bed.

“He’s fine,” Kuroko answers, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

Ryouta is still asleep, and Seijuurou sits down next to him, gazing over him.

“I know what you must think of me,” he says. Kuroko looks away. “Does this bother you?” Seijuurou asks.

Kuroko sighs. “I don’t know. It’s just. This isn’t because you love each other and want to have a family. This is all just so that when you die, the first generations will be able to keep testing. This isn’t how the world is meant to be.”

“No, it’s not. Tetsuya, I’m not going to hurt him. Or you, for that matter. Do you believe me?”

“Yes…” Kuroko says, still looking over Ryouta’s sleeping figure. He finally looks up at his husband. “You don’t even seem affected by his condition.”

Seijuurou laughs softly. “I’m good at keeping my feelings contained. But believe me, this is not easy for me.”

Now that he mentions it, Kuroko _can_ smell his alpha scent. It’s muted, but it’s definitely there. Maybe Kuroko should feel glad he’s married to Seijuurou and not some other alpha. Most alphas are uncontrollable when around an omega in heat, even his friends back home were insatiable at times.

Ryouta stirs, making a little moan. He opens his eyes, looking back and forth between his company.

“Seicchi?” he says.

Seijuurou smiles and pats his hand. “I’m here.”

Ryouta groans. “Feels hot.”

“Do you want a bath? It might make you feel better.”

“Want _you_ ,” Ryouta says breathily.

Kuroko is definitely feeling the desire to get away from this scene. “Maybe you should take him back to his room,” he says.

Ryouta is grabbing at Seijuurou’s arms, trying to tug him closer.

“That might be a good idea,” their husband says. He stands up and scoops Ryouta into his arms, managing to carry him easily despite their size difference. “I’ll see you later, Tetsuya,” he says softly.

The door clicks shut, and Kuroko gets up and goes straight to the bathroom, turning on the taps for the bath. He feels disturbed, knowing what’s likely about to happen just down the hall. He doesn’t even really know why it’s bothering him. Seijuurou made his point, he’s not going to hurt any of them, and Kuroko knows that Ryouta wants this. So why does he feel so uneasy?

* * *

Kuroko doesn’t see either Seijuurou or Ryouta for the rest of the day. He sits in the library with Reo and the two of them read, and when lunchtime rolls around and their domestics bring them food, Reo appears surprised.

“No lunch with the hubby today?” he asks Mayuzumi.

“Sorry, you’re stuck with me instead,” the grey-haired man says.

“Oh, that’s not so bad. You’re also quite easy on the eyes.”

Mayuzumi snorts and walks off without another word.

“So now you’re leaving me!?” Reo calls out.

“You two seem to be getting along,” Kuroko comments.

“I suppose. He’s not very nice though.”

Kuroko knows Reo is just saying that, as he’s smiling to himself.

“Do you like it here?” Kuroko asks after a while.

“I don’t really care,” Reo responds. “Dying in here, dying out there, it’s going to happen either way, but at least here I get to be spoiled.”

“You weren’t taken from anyone you love?”

“No. I don’t have anyone.”

“You have people now,” Kuroko reminds him.

Reo makes a small smile. “Maybe.” He stands up. “I’m going to go pester Chi-chan. I’m bored, and reading isn’t doing it for me anymore.”

Kuroko sits by himself for a bit longer, picking away at the last of his food, then he decides he too is bored. He heads back to his room and presses the white button above his nightstand.

“You rang?” Kouki asks when he arrives.

“Can you get me off this floor?”

The domestic stares at him for a moment. “Can I? Yes. Should I? Probably not.”

“Please? No one will notice, I’m invisible. Besides, Seijuurou’s _occupied_. He won’t come looking for me.”

Kouki sighs. “I suppose I could take you to the sewing room at least. No one ever goes there besides me and the other domestics. Come on then.”

Kuroko smiles, pleased he won. He follows the brunette out and they go into the elevator. The doors open and Kouki leads him through some hallways, finally coming to a door that leads into a large room full of mannequins and tables covered in bolts of fabric in all different colours.

“So you make all our clothes here?” Kuroko asks, immediately starting to explore.

“That’s right. We all have our own little stations. I can show you some unfinished projects if you want.”

Kuroko nods and walks over to wear Kouki is standing with a few mannequins. One has a dress made of pastel blue and purple fabric on it, with off-shoulder sleeves made of tulle and little silk flowers sewn onto the neckline.

“I’m nearly finished this one,” Kouki says, straightening out some of the tulle edging. “Just need to hem it.”

“When’s this for?” Kuroko asks softly, inspecting the dress with awe. It’s beautiful.

Kouki hums. “I’ve been told you may be leaving the mansion sometime soon.”

“What?” Kuroko says, spinning to face the other boy.

Kouki smiles. “Yes, it’s been mentioned that there’s going to be some sort of social gathering that Seijuurou-sama will be attending. The three wives will be going as well. To celebrate two months of your marriage.”

Kuroko closes his eyes. He’s been trying not to count the days. Two months… He can’t imagine what Kagami and Aomine are doing. Do they think he’s dead? Have they been driving the streets to look for his body in a ditch? Are they checking the red-light districts for his face? Have they given up on him?

“I see.” He strokes his fingers over the fabric of the dress. “When will it be?”

“Well the anniversary isn’t until next week, so it will likely be then. But everyone will have to be able to attend.”

Kuroko looks at Kouki again. “What do you mean?”

“Well… Ryouta-san would not be able to go right now. And both you and Reo-san are going to be, er, incapable of leaving at some point as well.”

Kuroko exhales. “Right.”

Then he frowns. Something doesn’t make sense. If it’s been two months, how come Ryouta is only getting a heat now? And to Kuroko’s knowledge, Reo hasn’t had one at all, and neither has he.

“Um, Kouki?”

“Yes?”

“About that… I should have had a heat by now.”

Kouki nods. “Yes… I suppose I should tell you. I’ve been giving you suppressants.”

Kuroko stares, shocked. “What? Why? And how?”

“Crushed into your food. Seijuurou-sama’s orders. He wanted you all to have a little while to settle in first,” Kouki explains.

“I suppose that ended, then.”

“Sort of. You’re still on them, actually.”

Kuroko pauses. “What?”

“That’s what he’s ordered me to do. Obviously Ryouta-san isn’t on them anymore, I’m not sure about Reo-san, I’d have to ask Mayuzumi-san. But I’ve been instructed to keep you on them.”

“Why does he want that?”

“I’m not sure. Maybe he wants you to trust him completely first.”

Kuroko glances up at his domestic, unsure of what he’s supposed to be feeling here.

“Anyway, do you want to see the kitchen? I’m friends with all of the cooks, so they won’t tell on us. They’ll probably even enjoy the company.”

“Sure…” Kuroko says, following Kouki out of the room.

He can’t stop thinking about what his domestic told him though.

Seijuurou keeps surprising him, and honestly, he isn’t even really sure if he still hates this place…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tagged this as Midotaka and Murahimu because I was planning for them to be in it a lot. But that's just not even happened. So I might take those tags out. I mean it's kinda hard to show them when they're not hanging out Kuroko. Midorima and Takao aren't on his floor, and Mura and Himuro aren't even in the same house, soo.. yeah.
> 
> I read more of Wither today and it was the part where Linden and Cecily sleep together. LINDEN YOU'RE TWENTY ONE. SHE'S THIRTEEN. DO NOT DO THAT!!!!!
> 
> Like at least Kise is 17 here. YIKES.
> 
> [Also, here's the dress that Furi was showing to Kuroko.](https://68.media.tumblr.com/0fc3084407652ef85ecf58da5e44deee/tumblr_ohz1kbLYD51ucu7gco1_540.jpg)


	10. {10}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is only a relatively short chapter. I was so unbelievably stuck with this one. Idk why but I just could not write it at all. 
> 
> I listened to VIXX's Shooting Star on repeat the whole time I wrote this tbh, so consider it the soundtrack. Actually the lyrics are pretty cute and fitting...
> 
> Btw go check chapter 3 again, I added another ref pic for Kuroko's wedding dress. I forgot to add it when I posted the chapter, and I've added it now.
> 
> **This chapter has been updated. OC appearance - Takao's younger sister. No I did not steal her name from a real life friend of mine shhhh.

Kuroko wakes to a giggling body dropping on top of him.

“You’re awake!” Kazunari chirps.

“I am now, thanks to you,” Kuroko grumbles, pushing the other omega off him. “What are you doing here?”

It’s then that he spots a child standing behind Kazunari. She appears to be about ten, with black hair in a bob to her chin, and the same grey eyes as Kazunari. His sister?

“Came to tell you we’ve got company today,” Kazunari says.

“Company?”

“Some of Akashi-sama’s other friends,” Kazunari says, the honorific spoken exaggerated and teasingly. “They want to meet you wifeys. You’ll get to see what a happy family looks like.”

“What do you mean?”

“Small people!”

Kuroko stares at him in confusion. “Do you mean children?”

“Yep!” Kazunari drops down onto his back, folding his arms underneath his head. “By the way, this is Suzuka, my sister.”

The girl climbs onto the bed beside him and watches Kuroko.

“Hello,” Kuroko says gently.

She’s silent and staring still.

“She’s a bit shy,” Kazunari says. “She wanted to meet you though.”

Suzuka blushes and glares at her brother. “Nii-chan…”

“You _did_ though!”

“I want Saki…”

“Saki-chan is Shin-chan’s sister. They’re inseparable. Well, usually,” Kazunari says. He turns towards the girl. “And Suzu, you said you were fine to come on your own.”

She bites her lip and stares at him.

“How old are you, Suzuka-san?” Kuroko asks.

She looks up at him. “Ten. Chan is fine to use…”

Kuroko can see Kazunari smiling out of the corner of his eye.

“Okay, Suzuka-chan. How old is your friend, Saki-san?” he asks.

“She’s eleven. She’s my best friend,” Suzuka says.

Kuroko smiles. “That’s good that you have a friend to play with. You should bring her to visit me next time.”

Suzuka smiles shyly. “Sure.”

Kazunari rolls on top of her all of a sudden and she squeals. “See? You’re fine, squirt,” he says, starting to tickle her.

Kuroko watches silently, kind of amazed. He’s worked with kids himself, helping out with teaching in his neighbourhood sometimes, and he likes being around them. It’s nice to feel like he’s still young when spending time with them. Since coming here, the thought of kids made him feel physically ill, but seeing Kazunari interact with his sister is so innocent… he feels relaxed.

“Kazunari-san, you don’t have your own children do you? I thought the point of these marriages was to reproduce…” Kuroko says.

“Nah, Shin-chan doesn’t really want kids. We got married because, well it seemed like the thing to do, but at this stage no kiddies are planned.” Kazunari makes a thoughtful hum, brushing through a bit of Suzuka’s hair. “Kinda want some though. Might be cute. As long as they’re not as wild as this one!”

He starts tickling her again and she screams with delight.

Kuroko feels his stomach twisting a little again. This isn’t something he had any intention of thinking about yet, or ever even. But he has to now. At least he’s still on the suppressants. Speaking of, it’s been three days since Ryouta’s heat started, and Kuroko hasn’t seen neither him nor Seijuurou since that morning.

“So if these friends are coming over, will Seijuurou be making an appearance?” he asks.

“I dunno, probably.” Kazunari smirks. “You haven’t seen him?”

“No…”

“Well I’m sure he’ll be around. Otherwise he wouldn’t have invited them over.”

Kuroko doesn’t know why, but he wants to see Seijuurou again. And he wants to see Ryouta and make sure he’s all right.

He nods in acknowledgement, and a thought then pops into his head.

“Kazunari-san, do you think it’s kind of weird calling everyone by their given names here?” he asks. He was told that he was meant to address his husband, fellow wives, and the domestics by their given names and without honorifics. It makes sense, but it still feels a little awkward sometimes.

Kazunari snorts. “Yeah. In school, we all just used each other’s family names.”

“So you’ve all known each other for a long time?”

“Yep. Shin-chan and I have been together for ages.”

“Had Seijuurou ever been with anyone before?” Kuroko asks curiously. He doesn’t even know why he’s so interested.

“Not that I know of. He’s always been a bit of an enigma. He’s never made any sense to me.”

Kuroko nods, processing. “Do the domestics have family names? We’ve been calling them by their given names as well.”

“They do, they’re sort of allowed to keep them, but they’re not really meant to be used. It’s kind of… it seems almost like disrespect because they’re meant to be lower in status than us,” Kazunari says. “Kinda shitty. They seem to be fine about it though, it’s how they’re trained.”

Kuroko doesn’t think that makes it any nicer.

Kazunari and Suzuka stay for a while longer and just chat, until there’s a brief knock at the door and Ryouta’s domestic, Momoi, is coming in. She’s a girl, another of Seijuurou’s friends like Midorima, and although she’s also an alpha, she’s been assigned as a domestic.

“Tetsu-kuuuun!” she wails. She doesn’t even acknowledge Kazunari and his sister as she falls onto the bed. “Akashi-kun still won’t let me in Ryou-chan’s room!”

“He’s in heat and you’re an alpha,” Kazunari says, kicking her gently with his foot. “Akashi doesn’t want you slobbering all over him.”

“I wouldn’t! He’s my keeper! I am very respectful!” Momoi huffs.

“Yeah right. ‘Tetsu-kun’?” Kazunari says with a raised brow.

“I wouldn’t touch Tetsu-kun either! Akashi-kun would murder me. Though he _is_ such a cute little omega,” Momoi sighs happily, nuzzling against Kuroko’s legs.

“Please don’t talk about me as if I’m not here, Momoi-san,” Kuroko says.

Momoi sits up. “Anyway, Midorin is looking for you,” she says to Kazunari.

Kazunari sighs and looks at Kuroko. “Sorry wifey, I’m going to have to leave you.” He grabs Momoi’s arm and yanks her off the bed.

“Kazu-chan, don’t do that!” she yelps.

“I’m not leaving you alone with him, you’ll eat him alive,” Kazunari snorts.

Kuroko sighs gently when they’ve left. All that socialising with such energetic people has left him kind of tired. He lays back down and rests with his eyes closed for a few minutes until Kouki turns up with breakfast.

“Morning,” the domestic says. He looks amused. “You’ve had some visitors.”

“Yes, how do you know?” Kuroko asks, sitting up and yawning.

“Momoi-san was wandering around the halls, complaining about wanting to go in Ryouta-san’s room,” Kouki says. “She mentioned she, Kazunari-san, and Suzuka-san were in here earlier.”

“They’re very cheerful people so early in the morning,” Kuroko says.

Kouki giggles. “Yes, they are. Did they mention today’s plan?”

“That Seijuurou’s friends are coming over?”

“That’s right. Murasakibara-san and his partner. Plus their little ones.”

Kuroko falls back against his pillows and closes his eyes. “I’m still on the suppressants, right?”

“Yes. You’re worried about going off them,” Kouki says, a statement rather than a question.

Kuroko nods and sits up again. He bites his lip, wondering whether he should talk to his domestic about how he’s feeling. Kuroko hates himself for it, but he’s having a hard time disliking his husband when he seems so genuine and kind. And when Seijuurou told him it wasn’t even him who arranged for them to be brought here, that it was his father, Kuroko decided he can’t really blame Seijuurou for not arguing against it when he thinks about the head of the family. The few times he’s met the first-generation man, he’s given off a terrifying aura.

“Is something on your mind?” Kouki asks, sitting down at Kuroko’s feet.

“Is it terrible that I don’t hate it here so much anymore?”

Kouki purses his lips, thinking. “I understand why you’d be conflicted. You have those friends out there somewhere, missing you. But you see that Seijuurou-sama cares for you. And you have Ryouta-san and Reo-san.” He smiles. “And me.”

“I do like you all… I just…” Kuroko sighs. “I don’t know what I’m feeling anymore. I don’t know what I should do.”

Kouki pats his knee. “You should eat your breakfast.”

* * *

 

Kuroko goes back to sleep after breakfast, feeling more sleepy than usual, though he’s woken again by a hand on his shoulder. He blinks his eyes open to see Seijuurou standing over him.

“Morning, sleepy-head,” Seijuurou says with a smile.

Kuroko sniffs the air when he sits down, expecting him to smell like sex, but he just smells of lavender like he always does.

“I haven’t seen you in a while,” Kuroko says carefully.

Seijuurou smooths down a piece of Kuroko’s ridiculous bed hair. “Sorry. I’ve been taking care of Ryouta.”

Kuroko isn’t sure he wants to know exactly how he was taking care of him.

“How is he?” Kuroko asks.

“He’s okay. His heat ended.”

“Why did you take him off the suppressants?”

“He asked for it. I wanted to wait longer, but he insisted,” Seijuurou answers.

“I don’t want to go off them,” Kuroko says.

Seijuurou tilts his head. “Ever?”

“Maybe.”

“Kouki told me you had some friends before you came here,” Seijuurou says. Kuroko nods. “I feel bad for taking you from them, but I’m selfish. I want you all to myself.”

“You want me all to yourself, but I have to share you with two others?”

“Do you want me to be with you only?” Seijuurou asks, his crimson eyes burning with intensity.

Kuroko looks away and doesn’t answer. He’s not sure what his answer would be anyway.

Seijuurou strokes his arm gently, giving him goosebumps. “You’ve been told we have guests coming over today?”

“Yes. Some friends of yours.”

“Atsushi and his bride, Tatsuya. They’re bringing their two children as well. Do you like children?”

Kuroko nods. “Sometimes I helped out at the local school where I lived. And my friends used to joke about me acting like a mother all the time.”

Seijuurou makes a little amused noise. “You should get dressed soon, Atsushi will be over in an hour.” He rubs the back of Kuroko’s hand. “I’ll see you soon, Tetsuya.” He leans over and kisses Kuroko’s cheek, then gets up and leaves.

Kuroko’s fingers move to touch the spot he was kissed. His skin is tingling all over, his heart is racing, and his face feels hot. He recognises the symptoms, but he’s not going to allow himself to admit it. That would change everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kuroko's got it bad. 
> 
> Momoi wasn't going to be in it, I originally planned for Kasamatsu to be Kise's domestic, but I didn't think he fit the role. This is why Kise's domestic has never been mentioned properly until now, I wasn't sure what I was doing with them lmao. 
> 
> Actually Momoi was originally going to be the equivalent of Rose from the original book, aka, being Akashi's first wife who dies of the virus shortly after Kuroko arrives. But then I thought people might be sad if I killed her off. Plus it wouldn't really make sense for them to be married since they're both alphas and therefore can't have kids + they weren't even going to be in love, they were just going to be friends, I just wanted someone to fill Rose's position but yeah it all didn't really make sense and I ended up cutting it. 
> 
> Also ay ay Murahimu coming up next. 
> 
> And I'm also writing what went on between Akashi and Kise during those three days. If I get around to finishing it I'll post it as a separate work so you can read if you want or skip it if you don't. **yah not doing this anymore it made me sad lmao


	11. {11}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eurgh idk why but I struggled to write this chapter too. So forgive me for it not being great. 
> 
> Can't remember if I've mentioned Reo's age before. I hope not, because I changed it from what I originally planned him as. 
> 
> MURAHIMU ARE BARELY EVEN IN THIS CHAPTER I'M SORRY

After getting dressed, Kuroko heads to Ryouta’s room to check on him. He’s sitting at his vanity table, fixing his messy hair. Kuroko notices the bed is also a mess, but Ryouta’s a messy sleeper in general, and aside from that, there’s no indication that anything has changed – until Ryouta scoots over on the ottoman to make room for Kuroko, and he winces as he moves. He looks up, realising Kuroko saw.

“You- You haven’t slept with Seicchi yet, have you?” he asks as Kuroko sits down.

“No,” Kuroko says, shaking his head.

“Have you ever done it with anyone else before?”

Kuroko nods. “Yes, with my two friends that I lived with before coming here.”

Ryouta smiles, his eyebrows raising. “You had two lovers at the same time? You’re so scandalous, Tetsucchi!”

Kuroko blushes. “You make it sound like I was keeping them a secret from the other.”

“So how did it work?”

“We just did everything together, grew up together, lived together, went out together – why not sleep together?”

Ryouta giggles. “You’re an interesting one. You’ll have to tell me more about them sometime.”

“Sure, maybe,” Kuroko says, his voice soft. Thinking about Aomine and Kagami still makes him upset. He misses them. “Are you all right?” he asks after a minute.

Ryouta hums in thought. “Yes.” He turns his head and smiles at Kuroko. He looks peaceful. “I’m good.”

Kuroko feels kind of sick, but not because he’s uncomfortable. It’s a different kind of sick, his stomach churning and his heart aching. He shifts in his seat, trying to make the feeling go away, but it won’t abandon him.

“Are _you_ all right?” Ryouta asks, noticing Kuroko’s pained expression in the reflection in the mirror.

“I’m fine,” Kuroko replies. “My stomach’s just a bit unsettled.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know…”

 _He knows_.

“Mm, maybe lie down or something? We still have a few minutes till Seicchi’s friends will be over.”

Kuroko nods, standing up. “That’s a good idea…”

He teeters off back down the hall, only occasionally bumping into things. He leans his forehead against his door and just breathes for a moment.

“Having a crisis?”

He looks up to see Reo standing there with an amused expression.

“Maybe,” Kuroko answers, standing up straight.

Reo steps closer and opens his door, walking past him into the room. “Come talk to me,” he says.

Kuroko follows him, shutting the door and going to sit on his bed. Reo is smoothing out the expensive quilt, delicate fingers tracing the swirl patterns.

“You’re doing better,” he says.

“What do you mean?”

“You don’t look as sad as you did before.” He appears thoughtful, gazing over Kuroko with interest. “Something’s changed for you.”

“Maybe,” Kuroko says, looking at his lap. “I don’t know anymore…”

“Why are you so resistant? Who did you leave behind?” Reo’s voice is soft, not prying, but concerned.

Kuroko bites his lip. “I had some friends. Two of them. We lived together in my parents’ house.”

“Your parents are dead then?”

Kuroko nods. “They were scientists, they were looking for a cure, but their lab was destroyed by protesters.”

“That’s terrible. I’m sorry. Who are your friends?”

“Aomine-kun and Kagami-kun,” Kuroko says, his voice a little choked up. It hurts to say their names out loud after so long. “I’ve known them since I was little.”

“They don’t know what happened to you,” Reo says. He looks over to the window. “Ryou-chan doesn’t get it, he’s been training for this his whole life in that little wife-making orphanage of his. I can’t compare to your situation, but I understand what it’s like to lose people.”

“Who did you lose?” Kuroko asks.

“My parents as well. They were new generation. My mother died when I was six, my father died when I was eleven.” Reo looks back to Kuroko with emotionless eyes. “They were fourteen when they had me.”

“Just kids…” Kuroko says softly.

“I’m twenty-three. I only have two years left. Even if I have a baby now, they’re not going to remember me when I’m gone.” Reo sighs. “You want to escape, don’t you?”

Kuroko frowns, not answering. He does want to escape, but he also doesn’t.

“Do you hate our husband?” Reo tries again.

Kuroko hesitates. “Not anymore.”

“You’re his favourite, you know. Ryou-chan’s like an eager little kid, he’s cute, but Sei-chan isn’t in love with him like he is with you.”

“How does he feel about _you_?”

“He likes me just fine. But we’re more like friends. He’s not in love with me.”

There’s a knock at the door and suddenly Kouki and Mayuzumi are coming in.

“You make my life difficult when you’re not where you should be,” Mayuzumi says.

Reo laughs. “I like to play hard to get.”

“You can play _getting ready_ instead,” Mayuzumi says, picking him up and carrying him out of the room, Reo laughing as they leave.

“At least you’re dressed,” Kouki says with a smile. “Come on, we have guests.”

      

* * *

         

Kuroko follows his domestic into the sitting room to find mostly everyone else already there. Seijuurou and Midorima are talking to an incredibly tall man with long, lavender hair, while Kazunari and Ryouta sit on the floor with another new person, a man with black hair and a face as pretty as the aforementioned blonde’s, the three of them playing with two children. One is a toddler, a boy with a head of lavender hair to match his taller parent, the other a little girl with black hair tied into short pigtails. Suzuka is sitting in a corner with another girl with long green hair, who Kuroko assumes is Midorima’s sister, Saki.

“Good luck!” Kouki whispers to Kuroko before disappearing. Kuroko panics a little – anytime he’s wished ‘good luck’ can’t be good.

“Tetsuya,” Seijuurou says, having noticed him instantly. “Come here.”

Kuroko moves over to stand beside him, and he has to crane his neck up to look at Seijuurou’s purple-haired friend. Kuroko doesn’t even reach his shoulders.

“Atsushi, this is Tetsuya,” Seijuurou says. “Tetsuya, this is my friend Murasakibara Atsushi.”

“Nice to meet you,” Kuroko says, giving a polite nod.

“He’s cute,” Murasakibara says after staring at him for a moment.

“He’s _very_ cute,” Seijuurou agrees. He flashes Kuroko a smile, and Kuroko blushes, looking away in embarrassment. Seijuurou guides him over to the group on the floor. “This Atsushi’s bride, Tatsuya,” he says.

Tatsuya smiles up at Kuroko. “Nice to meet you at last. This is Jinichi,” he says, nodding to the baby boy in his lap. He looks at the little girl. “Fuyu, do you want to say hello?” She shakes her head and chews on her fingers. Tatsuya laughs. “She’s Fuyuka.”

“How old are they?” Kuroko asks, kneeling down alongside them.

“Fuyuka is four, Jinichi is eighteen months,” Tatsuya answers. He gently bounces the baby on his knees.

Reo comes into the room then, Mayuzumi subtly pushing him along before leaving. He wanders over to Seijuurou to be introduced, then joins the group of omegas, Seijuurou going back to his alpha friends.

Kuroko stays silent, watching as Ryouta asks to hold the baby, and Reo makes a comment about how he’d be a good mother when the baby giggles happily in his arms. Ryouta blushes and smiles so widely Kuroko thinks his face might break. Reo and Ryouta coo over Jinichi for a bit, Kuroko silently observing.

“Fuyu,” Tatsuya says to his daughter. “Do you want to show off your picture book?”

The girl bites her lip, then picks up the book from the floor and goes and sits on Kuroko’s lap with it.

“He doesn’t talk, I like him,” she says.

Kuroko’s heart is racing, he feels anxious and nervous, but also kind of happy.

Tatsuya laughs. “That’s high praise from her,” he says.

“Can you read it to me?” Fuyuka asks.

“Sure,” Kuroko nods. He opens the book and starts to read quietly, Fuyuka underlining the words as he goes.

“You’re good with her,” Seijuurou says from beside him.

Kuroko hadn’t even noticed him approach, he’d been too distracted by reading. “Am I?” he asks softly.

Fuyuka smacks his leg gently. “Keep reading!”

Kuroko smiles, continuing through the book. They stay in the sitting room for a while, talking and playing, then Seijuurou says they’re going to have afternoon tea in the garden. Kuroko holds Fuyuka’s hand as they walk down the hallway to the elevator. Since there’s so many of them, they go in two groups – Ryouta takes Jinichi in his arms alongside Reo, Kazunari, Midorima, and Suzuka and Saki, while Kuroko goes with Seijuurou, Tatsuya, and Murasakibara, still holding hands with Fuyuka. In the elevator, Tatsuya leans against his husband, sighing gently.

“Tired?” Seijuurou asks.

“Two little kids are exhausting,” Tatsuya responds with a smile. He looks at Kuroko. “Thanks for helping. Fuyu really seems to like you.”

Kuroko nods silently, not sure on what to say. Seijuurou puts his hand on Kuroko’s back and gently rubs. Kuroko looks at him to see him smiling reassuringly, and Kuroko feels his face heat a little. Seijuurou keeps his hand on the small of Kuroko’s back when they go through more hallways and out into the garden. Since the cherry blossoms are no longer in bloom, they go to a different part of the garden that’s lined with all kinds of roses and over to where there’s a table set up with trays of food. Kuroko ends up seated beside his husband with Fuyuka on his other side. He gently talks to the little girl throughout the meal and reminds her to eat her vegetables so she can grow up tall like her parents, and he notices Seijuurou smiling at him almost the entire time. Seijuurou also occasionally lets a hand wander to settle on Kuroko’s knee, squeezing it gently from time to time. They stay outside for hours, and Kuroko feels immensely better being out in the fresh air, though eventually they go back inside and up to the wives’ floor again. Murasakibara and Tatsuya soon announce they’re leaving, and Seijuurou and Midorima go to see them off. Ryouta sits down with Kazunari, Suzuka, and Saki to talk excitedly about the visit, Reo has disappeared off somewhere, and Kuroko decides to retire to his room, tired from socialising. He gets changed into some pyjamas, then drops onto his bed face first.

“Tetsuya.” Kuroko raises his head and rolls over a little to see Seijuurou standing over him, wearing pyjamas of his own. The room is darker than it was before. “May I sleep with you?”

Kuroko freezes for a moment, until he realises Seijuurou doesn’t mean what he initially thought. So he scoots over, nodding his head. Seijuurou climbs on beside him, sliding his legs under the covers. He lies on his side and gently strokes Kuroko’s arm.

“You did well today,” he says. “You’re good with kids.”

Kuroko nods. “Thank you.”

Seijuurous fingertips glide slightly higher up his arm and he shivers. Seijuurou sits up, leaning over Kuroko and positioning his hands on either side of his head. Kuroko watches him, waiting to see what he does.

“May I kiss you?”

Kuroko closes his eyes. Then he nods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Errr sorry for a terrible chapter once again. I wanted it to be slightly longer too but oh well, I like where it ended and I'm too emotionally exhausted to rewrite any of this chapter again.
> 
> Also for those who were hoping Akashi did not sleep with Kise. Well. .^. Sorry. It did happen. I'm not intending for him to be an exact copy of the husband in the book (because as much as I do like Linden, he's kinda... a little bit awful), but I don't want Akashi to be totally perfect either. 
> 
> This is all kinda hard to explain. But their situation hasn't been perfect from the start. It's always a struggle, and things can't be like a fairy tale all the time. 
> 
> But Akakuro is still my otp, so don't worry too much. Thing's will (*hopefully*) work out in the end.


	12. { because those lips are too sweet }

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sexual content warning~~ 
> 
> yes, it's between Akashi and Kuroko ψ(｀∇´)ψ

The first touch of their lips is gentle, barely a light brush. Seijuurou then kisses across Kuroko’s face, on his nose, on his cheeks, on his forehead, before connecting their lips again properly. It’s been so long since Kuroko was kissed like this, not since that morning he was taken, and it’s different, because it’s neither Aomine nor Kagami, but it’s nice, because it’s Seijuurou. His tongue presses at Kuroko’s lips, and he lets him in. Their bodies are pressed together, and Kuroko feels hot, even though the air is cool. Seijuurou runs his hand up Kuroko’s arm to clasp their fingers together, and Kuroko makes a little embarrassed noise into his mouth at the romantic action. That seems to spur Seijuurou on further, as he slides an arm underneath Kuroko’s back to squeeze him tight, and he deepens the kiss even more, kissing Kuroko as if he’s never going to get another chance. He slips a hand up Kuroko’s shirt, feeling over his stomach, and Kuroko gently pushes him back so he can breathe.

“Seijuurou,” he says.

His husband groans softly and presses his face into Kuroko’s neck. “I love when you say my name,” he murmurs.

Kuroko takes a deep breath. If they continue, he’s going to lose all self-control, _especially_ if Seijuurou keeps talking like that. “We should stop,” he says.

“Why? Don’t you want this?” Seijuurou kisses his neck again and Kuroko feels himself slipping.

“I just-”

Seijuurou drops to the side and pulls Kuroko against him. “Are you still scared of me?” he asks.

“No, I’m just… not ready to let go of the past,” Kuroko whispers in reply.

Seijuurou combs his fingers through Kuroko’s hair. “Tell me about them.”

“Who?”

“This person who has your heart. I want to know about them,” Seijuurou says. He doesn’t sound upset or angry, just curious.

Kuroko feels like it’s weird to tell Seijuurou about them, but he does it anyway. “They’re my two best friends.”

“What are their names?”

“Aomine Daiki and Kagami Taiga. I lived with them.”

“When did you meet them?”

“I’ve known Aomine-kun since I was born, Kagami-kun, I met when I was about eight.” He feels strangely calm, not like he’s about to cry, like he has when talking or even thinking about his friends in the past since coming here.

“Do you love them?” Seijuurou asks quietly. Kuroko nods. Seijuurou inhales, then lets go of Kuroko and rolls onto his back, looking up at the ceiling of the curtains. “I can’t compare to them, I know.”

Kuroko sits up and climbs on top of Seijuurou, pulling him up by the front of his shirt and kissing him hard. He sits back on his husband’s hips, looking into his stunned eyes. “I like you. I just can’t do that yet.”

Seijuurou nods, and he slides his arms around Kuroko’s waist. “Would you kiss me like that again, at least?”

Kuroko blushes and nods, leaning back down.

“What’s too much for you?” Seijuurou asks when they separate.

Kuroko considers his answer. “I don’t want to do anything sexual. Kissing is fine.”

“You know some people consider kissing to be sexual,” Seijuurou says with a smile, brushing his fingertips over Kuroko’s cheek and then twirling a longer piece of his pastel hair.

Kuroko blushes deep red. “I- …Kissing is fine,” he repeats.

Seijuurou laughs, rolling them over so he’s on top of Kuroko again. “That’s good, because I like kissing you.”

“I like kissing you too,” Kuroko says, still blushing as red as Seijuurou’s hair.

“ _Good_ ,” Seijuurou whispers before claiming his lips again.

They kiss for a long time, until Kuroko can’t breathe and Seijuurou has to sit back to let him catch his breath. As he’s lying there trying to breathe normally, Kuroko realises how tired he is, and he starts to drift off. He vaguely registers the press of lips on his forehead before he finally falls asleep.

* * *

 

Kuroko wakes to sunlight blinding his eyes and an arm wrapped around his waist. He immediately knows who it is, the memories of last night fresh in his mind. He’s still tired, and he’s content to stay lazing around in bed for now, so he closes his eyes again and just rests until he hears the door opening. He looks over his shoulder to see Kouki in the doorway with wide eyes.

“Come over,” Kuroko says; quietly, but loud enough that his domestic can hear from across the room.

Kouki shuts the door and walks over to them. Kuroko wants to eat, so he carefully slides away from the sleeping Seijuurou, trying his best not to wake him.

“I’ll bring something for him as well,” Kouki whispers, passing Kuroko the tray he holds then hurrying off.

“Are you going to share any of that with me?” Kuroko jumps slightly, turning to see one of Seijuurou’s eyes open as he smiles. He sits up and leans over to kiss Kuroko’s cheek. “Morning.”

“Good morning,” Kuroko mumbles. “Food is coming for you as well, you realise?” he says when Seijuurou starts stealing things off his plate.

“Yes, but I want to eat yours.” Seijuurou kisses him again.

“Because you’re hungry or because it’s mine?”

“Both.”

“You’re being unreasonable,” Kuroko says when Seijuurou steals one of his pancakes.

“I _am_ unreasonable,” Seijuurou says.

Kuroko smiles a little, continuing to let his husband take over his breakfast. Kouki returns with another tray soon, though Seijuurou has already eaten mostly all of Kuroko’s food. The domestic smiles happily at Kuroko as he leaves.

“He thinks we had sex,” Seijuurou says casually. Kuroko blushes and stares at his lap. “We’ve been married for two months, it’s not a big leap to make.”

“I’m aware…”

“Do you want me to feed you?” Seijuurou asks, holding up a fork with a piece of pancake and strawberry on it.

“No, I can do it myself.”

Seijuurou pouts. “But I want to.”

“You’re a child,” Kuroko says, though he turns his face and opens his mouth.

“Maybe. Or maybe I’m just in love.”

Kuroko feels a little woozy. He feels warm and his heart is racing and he feels kind of like he wants to throw up, but it’s not unpleasant.

“Tetsuya,” Seijuurou says after a few minutes of silent eating. “Do you feel like an Akashi?”

Instantly, he says, “No, I’m still Kuroko.”

Seijuurou smiles. “And maybe you’ll always think that way, but I still want you to love me if you can.”

“I-” Kuroko hesitates, feeling a lump in his throat. “I already do, I think.”

Seijuurou beams at him and leans in, cupping his face and gently kissing his lips. “I’m glad,” he says when he moves back. He kisses the tip of Kuroko’s nose and then gets out of bed and stretches. “The weather forecast said it’ll be hot today. Do you want to go down to the pool later on?”

“That sounds nice,” Kuroko says with a nod.

“It’s already summer,” Seijuurou says idly, looking over to the window. “I have some things to do, but I’ll come back and see you soon.” He leans over the bed and kisses Kuroko again, then leaves, giving Kuroko a last little smile as he shuts the door.

Kuroko falls back onto his bed, closing his eyes. He rolls onto his stomach and presses his face into his silk pillow.

“Is that comfortable?” Kouki’s voice asks him after a while.

He sits up to see the domestic coming back into the room.

“Actually, yes,” Kuroko says. “Real silk. Not cheap satin.”

Kouki laughs. “How was your breakfast?”

“Do you mean the food or the company?”

“Both,” Kouki says with a smile.

“Both were good,” Kuroko replies, being purposefully vague.

Kouki leaps onto the bed. “Tell me everything!”

“Nothing happened,” Kuroko says.

“What? _Something_ had to have happened!”

“We kissed a bit, that’s all.”

Kouki giggles. “That’s not what I’d call ‘nothing’.”

“Shush.”

* * *

 

Kuroko wanders around the library for the rest of the day, until Kouki comes to find him to say that Seijuurou has instructed for the wives to be taken outside. The domestic tells him to put on swimmers as they’re going to the pool, and Kuroko excitedly runs to his wardrobe to find some. Surprisingly, the swimmers his wardrobe is stocked with are not frilly and pretty, but just normal swim shorts. Though to be honest, he doesn’t even care anymore.

After getting dressed, Kouki takes him out to the elevator and leads him through more winding hallways and out another door to where there’s a deep, cerulean blue pool. It’s under the cover of an awning so they won’t get burnt under the summer sun, but it’s still mostly open to the outside. Kuroko stares hungrily at the unnaturally blue water, wanting to dive in already. He hasn’t been swimming in forever, and baths aren’t quite the same thing. Ryouta and Reo are already there, standing by the edge and chatting, and Kuroko notices Ryouta looks incredibly nervous.

“It’s fine, Ryou-chan,” Kuroko hears Reo say as he gets closer. “You don’t have to go in the deep end.”

“I don’t think I want to go in at all,” Ryouta murmurs, peeking around Reo to look at the pool in fear.

“Then just sit on the edge.”

“But I want to swim!”

Reo sighs. He turns to Kuroko. “Tet-chan, can you swim?”

Kuroko nods. “Yes, why?”

There’s a public indoor pool near where he lived with Aomine and Kagami. He and Aomine learned to swim when they were young, and when Kagami came along, they both taught him as well.

“Teach _Baby_ , here, how to do it then.”

“Do I have to?”

“That’s mean!” Ryouta squeals.

“I can _try_ ,” Kuroko says to the petrified blonde.

Ryouta ends up getting too scared, and so he sits on the edge of the pool and dangles his legs in, complaining about it being hot and can’t they get a smaller pool for him? Kuroko ignores him and dives to the bottom of the deep end. He can’t stay underwater for long though, he’s too light and he always just floats back up. Reo sits in an inflatable chair and floats along, sweeping his elegant hands through the surface of the water every now and then. Apparently he can’t swim either, but he doesn’t seem afraid of the water at all.

After a while, Seijuurou makes an appearance, walking over to them dressed in his own swim shorts and nothing else. Kuroko hasn’t seen him without a shirt before, and he can’t help but gawk a little – he was sort of expecting him to be just thin, but he’s got a very defined six-pack and strong-looking arms. Reo floats past Kuroko on his chair and knocks him on the shoulder.

“Like what you see?” he asks in a teasing voice.

Kuroko is silent and blushing.

Ryouta seems much more eager to get in the pool when it’s their husband helping him, though he still screams a lot. Kuroko feels that pang in his chest again and continues to dive under the water, trying to hold onto the coloured lights at the bottom until he runs out of breath. When Ryouta has gained enough confidence to stand in the pool on his own, Seijuurou turns his attention to Kuroko.

“You look beautiful in the water,” he murmurs.

“Thank you,” Kuroko says quietly.

“Something’s bothering you,” Seijuurou comments.

“Maybe.”

“Can you tell me what it is?”

“Not right now,” Kuroko says, eyeing the others. Ryouta is playfully sending splashes onto Reo, who is in turn trying to smack him away.

Seijuurou follows his gaze and nods. “When we go inside?” Kuroko nods as well.

They splash around for a little bit longer, until Ryouta complains that it’s getting cold with the twilight breeze. Seijuurou takes them back inside and he manages to slip off with Kuroko in tow without Ryouta or Reo noticing. He tugs him into Kuroko’s bedroom and shuts the door. Kuroko goes to his wardrobe to find pyjamas to change into, and then goes into the bathroom to change. He comes back out to find Seijuurou in his bed, and he spots his shorts folded on the floor. Of course, Kuroko thinks, he didn’t have anything to change into. Kuroko shuffles over to the bed and climbs in as well.

“What’s wrong?” Seijuurou asks. He doesn’t touch Kuroko, giving him his space in case he needs it.

Kuroko frowns. He doesn’t know how to answer. Instead he leans over and pushes his weight onto Seijuurou, leaning his face into his husband’s neck. Seijuurou’s arms come up around him, gently patting his back.

“What is it?” he asks again.

“I’m terrible,” Kuroko says, the words muffled against Seijuurou’s neck.

“Why do you say that?”

Kuroko tugs Seijuurou to lie down with him, still hiding his face. “I…”

“Tell me, Tetsuya,” Seijuurou murmurs.

“I don’t want to share you,” Kuroko finally says.

Seijuurou pulls back so he can look Kuroko in the eye, though Kuroko turns his eyes away.

“Why does that make you terrible?”

“Because I had no problem sharing my partners before…”

Seijuurou smiles gently. “That was a bit different. You all agreed to that, didn’t you?” Kuroko nods. “So you’re not terrible.”

Kuroko gently pushes Seijuurou off him and rolls onto his side, facing away. “I’m sorry, I’m being stupid.”

Seijuurou presses against him, nudging his nose into Kuroko’s hair. “You smell like vanilla,” he says softly. “If you don’t want me to be with the others, then I won’t be with them.”

Kuroko turns over a bit so he can see his husband. “Why would you do that? You paid for us.”

“Well actually my father did. I never wanted this either, you know. But I fell in love with you,” Seijuurou says, brushing Kuroko’s hair with his fingers. “I care for Ryouta and Reo, but they’re not like you.”

“You’ve already slept with Ryouta…” Kuroko says.

“Yes. I have.”

Kuroko inhales and exhales slowly. “If you never wanted us, why did you sleep with him?”

Seijuurou sits up, keeping a hand on Kuroko’s arm to gently rub patterns in his skin. “My father was getting on my back about it. He said it’s been two months, you all should be pregnant by now,” Seijuurou says with a scowl. “Reo seems to think of me more as a little brother than a husband. And you weren’t definitely weren’t ready. Ryouta is sweet, and it’s what he wanted as well, so…” he trails off, looking away. He looks back at Kuroko, his eyes almost appearing to glow. “Say you want me all to yourself and I’ll never even look at another person ever again.”

Kuroko feels like his heart might be about to burst inside his chest. He can’t seem to find words. He sits up and puts a hand on Seijuurou’s chest to steady himself a bit. “Please only look at me,” he finally manages to whisper.

Seijuurou kisses him then, pushing him down onto the bed, and they suddenly can’t seem to get enough of each other, kissing and touching all over desperately. Kuroko’s hands are on Seijuurou’s torso, feeling along the bumps of hard muscle there, while Seijuurou’s hands are tangled in his hair and running across his waist. His fingertips brush over the front of Kuroko’s pyjama bottoms lightly, and Kuroko jolts in response. Seijuurou doesn’t stop. Kuroko doesn’t want him to. He’s pulled into a sitting position, and Seijuurou tugs his top up over his head, throwing it aside uncaringly, then he pushes Kuroko back down, stretching out over him as he kisses him again. His hand is at Kuroko’s pants again, rubbing gently, and Kuroko gasps into his mouth. It’s been so long since he’s been touched like this, and he’s reacting almost instantly. Seijuurou squeezes and Kuroko actually whimpers. Being touched like this for the first time in months, it’s almost as intense as being in heat. His own hands go to his pants to push them down, wanting Seijuurou’s hands on his _skin_ and not on fabric. Instantly Seijuurou is under the blankets, pulling Kuroko’s pants off his ankles and throwing them aside as well, and then he’s kissing and licking and _god_ , Kuroko is ruined. Seijuurou’s tongue laps and laves at him hungrily, and then it’s dipping into his slit and licking up the precum already beading there, and Kuroko whines loudly, his hands pulling at Seijuurou’s rose hair harshly. Seijuurou starts licking and kissing up his stomach, reaching his chest and biting into one of his nipples, squeezing the other with his fingers. He pulls back and kisses Kuroko again, swallowing his desperate moans eagerly. He grabs one of Kuroko’s legs, hooking it around his hip, and their cocks rub together and Kuroko squeaks with pleasure. Seijuurou slides them together again, getting the same reaction. He’s moaning Kuroko’s name, “ _Tetsuya, Tetsuya, Tetsuya_ ,” over and over again as he thrusts against him. He wraps a hand around the both of them and Kuroko feels tears sliding down his face as he slams into his orgasm. Seijuurou is only a moment behind him, and he bites down into Kuroko’s neck, _hard_ , to stifle his moans. For a moment, they lie there panting, until Seijuurou sits back, and he presses a kiss to Kuroko’s parted lips, sweeping the hair off his damp forehead.

“Are you okay?” he asks, his voice breathless.

Kuroko nods. “Good,” he says.

Seijuurou smiles affectionately at him. “Hang on, I’ll get something to clean us up.”

He stands up and goes into the bathroom, coming back a minute later cleaned off and carrying a towel. He wipes Kuroko up for him, dropping the towel onto the floor to be dealt with later and climbing back into bed. Kuroko is starving after that, but Seijuurou seems to want to go to sleep, so he ignores the feeling and lets himself be cuddled, Seijuurou pressed against his back with his arms wrapped around him.

“I love you,” Kuroko whispers.

For a moment, he thinks Seijuurou has fallen asleep and didn’t hear, but then his lips are pressing against Kuroko’s neck and his arms are squeezing a little tighter. Kuroko isn’t sure he’ll be able to sleep, but with Seijuurou’s arms wrapped safely around him and the sound of him breathing softly, Kuroko drifts off easily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took me far longer to write than I anticipated. Mostly because that sex scene was COMPLETELY UNPLANNED. I was not intending for it to happen yet at all but I think it works well so. YOLO. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> This is honestly like 2000 words longer than I thought it'd be. Good job me. 
> 
> The chapter title is mildly tweaked lyrics from BTS' Boy Meets Evil. 
> 
> UHHHHH THERE'S PROBABLY MORE I WANT TO SAY BUT I'M BLANKING ON EVERYTHING RN. SO UM. YEAH, BYE.


	13. {13}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Golly, sorry I've taken so long to update. It's been over a week. I was very stressed and not in a good mood for a while, and I'd been travelling a lot so I took some time to just relax. And theeeeen- I was totally stuck with the story. I had NO IDEA what to do. I mean I sort of did, I had an outline, but I didn't know how to make it actually /happen/. 
> 
> But here you go, I hope you enjoy this chapter. 
> 
> Merry Christmas btw, I hope you guys all had a good time. [My mum bought me an Akakuro poster I'm so happy.](http://fuckyeahkurokonobasket.tumblr.com/post/154922024324/also-remember-on-my-birthday-when-i-said-i-found)

Seijuurou wakes up similarly to how he did the day before, in Tetsuya’s bed and wrapped around him, only this time he’s naked. He’s a light sleeper, and Tetsuya stirs early in the morning, and Seijuurou wakes as soon as he moves.

“Morning,” Seijuurou says, his voice low from sleep.

“Good morning,” Tetsuya replies. His face is flushed, and he’s avoiding Seijuurou’s gaze.

“Are you embarrassed?” Seijuurou asks, amused.

“A little,” Tetsuya admits.

Seijuurou kisses his cheek, and it’s burning. So cute. He leans over and presses the white button beside Tetsuya’s bed – the one that calls his domestic.

“We’re having breakfast together?” Tetsuya asks.

“Of course.” Seijuurou strokes his hair. It’s soft and silky, and when the light hits it, Seijuurou can see flecks of glitter in it. His domestic really does like those glitter baths.

Kouki turns up quickly and makes a little smile at the sight of the pair of them together. Tetsuya is back to blushing again, tugging the blankets higher around him. The domestic says he’ll bring them breakfast and then leaves again. Seijuurou looks at Tetsuya and sees him frowning slightly, chewing on his lip and fiddling with his hands in his lap.

“What are you thinking about?” Seijuurou asks.

Tetsuya looks at him. “I’m… curious about something.”

“Yes?”

“When you were-” he pauses- “with Ryouta, did you enjoy it?”

Seijuurou smiles. “Are you asking if I came or are you asking if I was happy about sleeping with him?”

Tetsuya blushes even more. “If you were happy about it…”

Seijuurou hums and looks up in thought. “It’s hard to describe. I didn’t hate it, but I sort of forced myself into it. So… I suppose I wasn’t really happy about it.” He reaches up and smooths down some of Tetsuya’s flyaway hairs. His bed hair is as adorable as the rest of him. “I would have preferred it was you, but that’s not how things worked out.”

Tetsuya nods. “Am I a First Wife now?”

“You know what that is?” Seijuurou asks. He keeps being surprised at all the things Tetsuya is educated on.

“I’ve seen about these marriages on TV.”

“To answer your question, yes, you are.”

Tetsuya smiles. “Are you going to take me to fancy parties then?” he asks. “Show me off to all your friends?”

“If you want that. All the other alphas will ask to dance with you though, and I don’t want them to touch you,” Seijuurou says honestly. He leans over and gently bites Tetsuya’s neck, Tetsuya giggling softly and patting his hair.

“I think you’re a bit spoiled,” he says.

“Maybe. I’ve never had anyone I want to protect before,” Seijuurou says, still leaning into Tetsuya’s neck and nuzzling a little.

Tetsuya is quiet, one hand resting on the back of Seijuurou’s neck and not saying anything. Seijuurou pushes him back down and starts licking and nibbling at his neck.

“Breakfast is coming,” Tetsuya says, his voice a little breathy. His hands are in Seijuurou’s hair, but he’s not pushing him away.

“I already have my breakfast, right here,” Seijuurou answers, biting Tetsuya’s neck harder. Tetsuya makes a soft whine in response.

Seijuurou only reluctantly pulls away when the door opens, sitting up on his own side of the bed and smiling happily when Kouki blushes at the sight of them. The domestic puts their trays down on their respective nightstands, then bows and leaves without a word.

“Now he _definitely_ thinks we had sex,” Seijuurou says. Tetsuya makes a little noise in protest. “You don’t want him to think that?”

“It’s embarrassing. And we didn’t even do that anyway.”

“Mm, not _yet_ ,” Seijuurou says.

Tetsuya blushes and busies himself with his food.

“I still haven’t taken you riding,” Seijuurou says after a while of silent eating.

“No, you haven’t,” Tetsuya says. “I’m a bit nervous of large animals…”

Seijuurou laughs softly. “Yukimaru won’t hurt you. She’s very gentle.”

Tetsuya makes a face as if he doesn’t believe Seijuurou. “Maybe.”

“You’ll like it, I’m sure,” Seijuurou says. “Maybe this afternoon?”

Tetsuya nods. Seijuurou then insists on feeding him; he likes doing it, it makes him feel that they’re closer. More like a normal married couple rather than the dying children that they are. Not that Seijuurou is exactly a child, but he doesn’t much feel like an adult either. Soon there’s a knock at the door, but it doesn’t open straight away.

“Come in,” Seijuurou calls out.

Shintarou steps into the room, looking as blank faced as ever. “Your father is looking for you,” he says. He doesn’t look away, staring directly at Seijuurou, uncaring of their lack of clothes. Seijuurou can see Tetsuya blushing and fiddling with the blankets from the corner of his eye.

“What does he want?”

“I don’t know. But he seemed annoyed.”

Seijuurou sighs. “Wonderful. Thank you, Shintarou.” His friend nods and leaves, and Seijuurou turns to Tetsuya. “I should probably go then. I’d take you with me, but-”

“I don’t particularly like your father,” Tetsuya says with an emotionless expression.

“- _That_. He _is_ somewhat intimidating, isn’t he?” Seijuurou smiles.

He pulls Tetsuya closer and kisses him. Then he decides he really doesn’t want to stop and leave. He pulls Tetsuya onto his lap, loving the feeling of their skin pressing together. He’s happy that Tetsuya seems to be completely okay with being touched now, eager for it even - he’s kissing back just as enthusiastically, his arms wrapped around Seijuurou’s neck. Seijuurou’s cock is resting between Tetsuya’s legs, and when Tetsuya shifts slightly, he rubs gently against it, and Seijuurou can feel himself getting harder. Tetsuya makes a little noise into his mouth as Seijuurou grows to life underneath him, and he gently grinds down on him. Seijuurou runs his hands down Tetsuya’s back, resting them on his backside, slipping a finger between his cheeks to lightly stroke at his hole, and Tetsuya gasps and pushes back on him. Seijuurou smiles and moves to swap them over, Tetsuya on his back, and Seijuurou pushes his legs apart and then lifts his hips into the air, and he latches his mouth onto Tetsuya’s hole. Tetsuya squeaks and jerks a little, his hands grasping at the sheets tightly.

“ _Aah_! Sei- kun-” he moans.

Seijuurou pulls away. “Where did that come from?”

“It just came out,” Tetsuya says, blushing.

“Cute. Though I’m going to make you come so hard that you drop the ‘kun’,” Seijuurou says with a smirk.

Tetsuya blushes even more, his eyes widening. He moans brokenly when Seijuurou presses his mouth to his entrance again, sucking and licking and dipping his tongue inside to swirl around. Tetsuya comes all on his own with a little cry, and Seijuurou sets his hips back down on the bed. He licks his lips, and Tetsuya makes a little whine of embarrassment.

“You taste nice,” Seijuurou says, grinning.

“Stop,” Tetsuya mumbles.

The towel used to clean them up the night before is still beside them on the floor, so Seijuurou picks it up to quickly wipe Tetsuya off.

“I really should go now,” he reluctantly says.

Tetsuya sits up. “When will you be back?”

“I’m not sure. Depends what my father wants to talk to me about.” Seijuurou presses a kiss to Tetsuya’s lips. “But I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“You can’t just pay attention to me…” Tetsuya murmurs.

Seijuurou tilts his head. “True. But that doesn’t mean I have to be intimate with the others.”

Jealous Tetsuya really is adorable.

“Why did I become your favourite? What’s so special about me?” he asks. “What makes me different to Reo and Ryouta?”

“You seem strong. And I don’t mean physically; you really are tiny, you know?” Tetsuya smacks his arm. “You didn’t just lay down and accept this. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing that the others did, Ryouta wanted to be here, he’s been wanting this his whole life, Reo doesn’t really care what happens to him. You seemed interesting. I was curious about you, what made you so against being here. Maybe I could relate a little. Not that I understand what it’s like to be kidnapped, but I know what it’s like to be forced into a life you never asked for and don’t necessarily want.” Tetsuya is staring at him. “What?” Seijuurou asks.

“I just- I didn’t really think about that. You seem to fit so well here, I didn’t think that maybe you weren’t happy either.”

“I’m happy enough. And I have you now anyway, so I’m plenty content.” He strokes Tetsuya’s cheek, looking into his big, blue eyes. They look so innocent. “I really should go.”

Tetsuya nods. “I’ll be around here.”

“I’ll have your window unlocked,” Seijuurou says as he stands up. He picks up his now dry shorts and pulls them on.

“I’m trusted enough for that?”

Seijuurou smiles at him when he sees Tetsuya has perked up a little. “I believe so. I don’t like keeping you cooped up any more than you do, but- I am possessive, apparently.”

“Apparently so am I…” Tetsuya mumbles.

“Then we work perfectly. I’ll be back sometime today,” Seijuurou says, giving Tetsuya a last kiss before he leaves.

The first thing he does is head straight to his room. He showers and gets dressed, then picks up his phone to send Tetsuya’s domestic a message saying to unlock his window, then he goes to find his father. Seijuurou finds him in the dining area, his breakfast cleared away and now reading a newspaper.

“You were looking for me, Father?” Seijuurou asks.

“Yes, come join me.” Seijuurou does. His father doesn’t even look at him. “I’ve not seen you much for a while.”

“Yes, I’ve been having all my meals with my wives.”

“Are any of them pregnant yet?”

Seijuurou resists the urge to sigh. “Not that I’m aware of.”

“It’s been two months.”

“I know.”

“It’s what they’re here for.”

“I know.”

“Do I need to get you more? That’s still an option.”

“No, three is plenty, thank you.”

“Are they defective?”

Seijuurou feels a flare of anger in his chest. “They’re fine, I’m sure.”

“Then why hasn’t anything happened yet?”

“Because I’ve been taking things slowly.”

His father sets down his newspaper and finally looks at him. “Seijuurou, do you not understand the situation?”

“I understand it fine. I would just prefer to develop a relationship with them first.”

“Have you achieved that then?”

Seijuurou stares at the table. “I believe I have.” He _really_ wants to leave.

“Good. Then get it done.”

“Of course. Is that all?”

His father nods and goes back to his paper, leaving Seijuurou free to escape. He feels like he’s aged after dealing with that, but he keeps his feelings reigned in as he walks down the hall back to his room. He can’t even bring himself to return to Tetsuya now, he doesn’t want to taint him with these sour emotions. He goes straight to his room and locks the door, then strips down to his underwear and settles under the covers of his bed, wanting to just avoid the world completely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haahaahaha Kuroko's question at the start lmao so awkward.
> 
> I'm thinking of doing an Aokaga chapter next c:


	14. { sad boys }

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aokaga chapter, as promised. Am I back to updating often? Let's hope so. 
> 
> **Non explicit sexual content + (underage) drinking

Being with another alpha is weird, Kagami thinks. Neither of you particularly wants to submit to the other, though Kagami finds himself not minding that much, A) because he already loved Aomine to begin with and is comfortable with him, and B) because Aomine seems to be suffering so much that Kagami kind of just lets him do what he wants to cheer him up. Not that it works in the end. But Kagami doesn’t really know what else to do.

They’re in Kyoto at the moment. Breaking into the science centre that took Kuroko barely gave them any information. There was no name of who took him, just some sort of insignia. After much, _much_ asking around, they managed to find out it’s the logo of a hospital in Kyoto, so here they are. They’re not bothering with hotels, who knows how long they’ll be here for? And fuel is expensive, and they need the car, so they’ve just been using it as a portable home.

Kagami glances over his shoulder. Aomine is asleep on the backseat, his face pulled into a frown. There are bags under his eyes. Kagami’s never seen him like this before. Even when his parents died, he always looked fine. Maybe Kagami just never noticed it since he was also a kid, but he always thought Aomine could do anything. Now he just seems so broken. It’s not right.

They honestly don’t even know if Kuroko is still alive. They have a (tiny) lead on who paid for him to be kidnapped, but they really don’t know what actually happened to him. He very well may be rotting on the side of a road. Kagami’s throat clenches up and he pushes the horrible thought from his mind. He climbs over the console and into the back, kneeling on the floor in front of Aomine. He leans down and rests his forehead on Aomine’s arm.

“Whatcha doing, Taiga?” Aomine asks sleepily.

Kagami groans softly. “Just looking for a hug or something.”

Aomine rolls over onto his back and holds his arms open, so Kagami climbs on top of him. It’s a bit awkward, they’re both too tall and don’t really fit in the space, but Kagami wants to be close to Aomine right now.

“We should get drunk,” Aomine says.

Kagami snorts. “Why?”

“Because we need to have fun.”

“And we need to get drunk to have fun?”

“ _Yes_. Now get off me,” Aomine laughs, shoving Kagami a bit.

Kagami grabs his wallet, and they clamber out of the car. It’s night time, past ten, and even though it’s summer now, there’s an evening breeze that’s keeping the air cool. As they’re walking, Aomine slips his hand into Kagami’s. Neither of them say anything about it, but Kagami smiles to himself. Aomine’s rough around the edges, but he really is sweet; Kagami just wishes he didn’t have to appreciate him on his own right now.

They wander around the city until they find a convenience store that sells alcohol. Apparently Aomine is quite eager to get drunk, as he doesn’t go for his usual beer but instead goes straight for the high alcohol content whiskey. Kagami prefers vodka, and he’s hopeless with the taste of alcohol, so he selects a flavoured bottle.

“You’re so fucking gay,” Aomine grunts when he sees Kagami’s peach flavoured drink.

“Shut the fuck up,” Kagami snaps. “If you want me drunk then let me drink what I want.”

Aomine snorts and swipes the bottle from his hands to take it to the counter. They don’t get asked for ID; a lot of places don’t bother with that anymore -as long as the customer is paying, that’s all that matters-, plus the two alphas look plenty intimidating with their impressive heights and weights, so they’ve both never been carded before, even when underage.

“Where should we go to drink?” Kagami asks when they’re back outside.

“Let’s find a park or something.”

“That’s illegal.”

“You’re seventeen, it’s _all_ illegal,” Aomine says.

“Shh! Don’t say that so loud, _geez_.”

“No one’s gonna stop you. You’re bigger than most of the police around here.”

Kagami grins. “Let’s go find a park then.”

They wander for a bit, each holding the alcohol bottles in one hand, their free hands joined between them and swinging gently. Eventually they find a park, and it’s completely empty. Aomine drags Kagami over to the swing set and they sit down.

“Kinda creepy out here like this,” Kagami says.

Aomine just hums, and Kagami’s not sure if he’s agreeing or if he’s just making a noise to show that he’s paying attention (when he’s actually not).

“We should have bought shot glasses,” he says.

“You always end up just sculling from the bottle directly anyway,” Kagami points out.

“Yeah true. We need some sort of game though.”

Kagami fishes into his pocket and pulls out a fifty yen coin. “We can play a game with this?” he suggests.

Aomine looks around them. “Hm, how about, if you can shoot that coin into that hoop over there,” -he points to a basketball hoop a few metres away from them- “then I drink and you get another turn. If you miss, you drink and it’s my turn.”

“All right. How much do we drink though?”

“As much as you want!” Aomine says with a gleeful expression.

Kagami scoffs. “Yeah sure.”

Kagami has always been good at sports, and he easily shoots the coin into the hoop. He smirks. “Drink up,” he says.

Aomine has no problem with this, and takes a giant gulp from the whiskey bottle. “Go again then.”

Kagami doesn’t miss. Eventually they just alternate shooting the coin, but Aomine is _also_ good at sports, and he also doesn’t miss, leading to the two of them getting drunk quickly. They stumble back to the swings and start swinging on them.

“We should fuck,” Aomine says, slurring his words. Kagami snorts and starts laughing. “What? You don’t want to?”

“I’m game. But I don’t remember where the car is,” he says, and he starts laughing again.

“Let’s just find a cheap hotel then.”

“I don’t remember how to walk either.”

Aomine starts laughing then too. “Remember the first time Tetsu got drunk?”

Kagami snorts again. “He took off all his clothes.”

“And started jumping on the bed,” Aomine adds.

Kagami grins. “He called a pizza place when we weren’t paying attention and tried to order puppies.”

Aomine wheezes and leans over. “What about that time he tried absinthe?”

Kagami laughs, gripping the swing chains to keep from falling over. “He said your hair turned red and he couldn’t tell us apart.”

Kagami’s laughter dies off, and he stares at the ground with a smile for a minute. He looks up at Aomine and his heart freezes. There’s tear streaks down Aomine’s face, though he’s completely silent. Kagami gets up and wobbles over to him, dropping to his knees in the dirt in front of him. Aomine is staring at his lap, his hands shaking a little. Kagami doesn’t really know how to react, so he takes Aomine’s hands in his own and presses them to his chest. Aomine takes in a shaky breath.

“Still want to find that cheap hotel?” Kagami asks.

Aomine nods. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

It’s surprising just how much Aomine’s tears sober them up, and they manage to walk back to the street just fine. Aomine is squeezing Kagami’s hand tight enough to hurt, but Kagami doesn’t mind. He squeezes back. They find a shitty looking love hotel further into the city, and they pay for a room and head upstairs. Kagami unlocks the door with a key that has a frilly satin heart on a keychain. The room is small and has flowy white curtains surrounding the bed, all illuminated with soft glowing lights.

Aomine has lost his sadness, or maybe it’s stronger now, because he pushes Kagami onto the bed and climbs over him, connecting their lips roughly. Kagami’s instincts still tell him not to let himself be dominated, but he ignores it and lets Aomine lead. They awkwardly fumble with buttons and zips, throwing their clothes off behind them. Aomine closes his lips on Kagami’s neck, sucking and biting, then moving lower to his collarbone. Kagami knows alphas like submission, so he lays there and lets Aomine ravish him. He wants to flip them over and ravish Aomine back, but he’ll save that for another time. Aomine needs this first.

Aomine has been gentle with him until now; even with Kuroko he was always gentle, unless Kuroko asked for it harder. The room comes supplied with lube and condoms, but Aomine is still drunk and he’s impatient with the preparation.

“Fuck, go easier on me next time, will you?” Kagami says through gritted teeth when Aomine is inside him.

Aomine just growls and bites his ear.

He fucks Kagami for hours, until they’re both too exhausted to move, and they fall asleep with tangled limbs, not waking till it’s nearly midday. Kagami sits up and winces at the pain spiking through his body. He’s definitely not letting Aomine get drunk again anytime soon. He feels a little sorry for Kuroko now. Ouch.

He slips out of bed and limps to the bathroom, and by the time he comes out from a long shower, Aomine is sitting up and leaning against the wall the bed is pressed against.

“Morning,” Kagami says.

“You all right?”

Kagami stops, then smiles. “I’m good.” He climbs back onto the bed and sits beside Aomine against the wall. “Are you all right?”

Aomine mumbles an unintelligible sound. “I have a killer headache.”

Kagami reaches up and pats his head. “No more whiskey for you.”

“I’m not arguing. Was a good fuck though.”

Kagami snorts. “For you, maybe.”

“You don’t like drunk sex?” Aomine asks with a teasing grin.

“I like drunk sex just fine, just not when it’s with only a fucking _millimetre_ of lube,” Kagami says.

“Tetsu did it all the time.”

“Yeah and I feel sorry for his ass! You’re an animal.”

They laugh quietly for a moment, then Aomine speaks up. “So where the hell did we park the car?”

“…Shit.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vodka drunk is the best drunk. It's a very fun drunk. Whiskey drunk is second, it's also pretty fun but it's not quite as giggly and entertaining as vodka. Absinthe is just a fucking wild ride. For real tho I drank the real absinthe once (the proper French stuff with the high levels of herbs that be illegal here in Australia - don't ask how I got it) and the sky legit turned red. I had blue hair at the time and I was told it also turned red. Weird af. The more u kno. 
> 
> I didn't want to write full on porn because this wasn't meant to be 100% sexy, it was meant to be sad too. 
> 
> My best friend will not shut up about Kuroko getting back with Aokaga. She keeps screaming at me for Kuroko to find a phone and call them. Well I have plans for them. *taps fingertips together evilly* Soon, my pets. All will be revealed.
> 
> Am I ever going to show Mayumibu? Yes. Yes I am. Probably very soon actually.


	15. {15}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to post this last night but I'd taken three different kinds of sleeping pills and I was so gone. 
> 
> Mayumibu chapter ~ finally. I wrote at least half of this in a crazed, sleep-deprived state so I hope it's not terrible. 
> 
> I caved and now Mayu is an alpha.

Reo wakes up feeling sick. He opens his eyes and looks around for a moment, seeing that it’s already light, then he rolls over and goes right back to sleep. His stomach is hurting when Chihiro comes in for breakfast, and Reo doesn’t even move from his position.

“Wake up, you lazy shit,” Chihiro says.

Reo smiles. Chihiro had been so quiet, even cold, when he first arrived. He’s still cold a lot of the time, but he’s far more comfortable, and when it’s just the two of them he gets like this. Reo hears him setting down his breakfast tray and then there’s a dip in the bed as he sits down. He shakes Reo’s arm.

“Wake up, Princess,” he tries again. Reo rolls over and makes a face. “Well what’s shoved up _your_ ass this morning?”

“You are foul,” Reo says. “I feel sick.”

“Probably ate too much cake for dessert.”

“It’s your fault for bringing it to me,” Reo says.

But Chihiro cares, as he reaches over and presses his hand to Reo’s forehead. “You’re a little hot,” he says.

Reo smirks. “Oh, I _know_ I am, Chi-chan. You’re very forward in the morning.”

Chihiro scoffs. “So are you.”

Reo grabs the front of his shirt and pulls him down on top of him, and Chihiro gets the hint and kisses him.

“My tummy hurts,” Reo mumbles when Chihiro moves off him.

Chihiro frowns. “You really are sick.”

“I told you,” Reo says, moaning a little and rolling around to get comfortable again. He feels restless and hot.

“You need to eat.”

“No food. It’ll make it worse.”

“You need to eat _something_.”

“Feed me,” Reo demands.

“You’re a fucking child.”

Reo smiles at him, batting his long eyelashes.

Chihiro groans. He slides the breakfast tray into his lap. “What do you want first?”

“What did you bring me?”

“Are you _that_ blind?” Chihiro asks.

Reo huffs. “I’ll try the soup. That hopefully won’t kill me.”

Chihiro rolls his eyes with a smile and lifts up the bowl of miso soup. He holds it to Reo’s lips and tips it up a bit. Reo swallows and then sits there for a moment, then he leans over and vomits over the edge of the bed.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Chihiro murmurs. “Are you okay?”

Reo wipes his mouth on the back of his hand. “Just splendid, Chihiro.”

“Lie back down,” Chihiro says. He gets up and starts cleaning up the mess.

“I think I know what the problem is,” Reo says, wincing as pain shoots through his abdomen and into his chest.

“Care to enlighten me?”

“Heat suppressants.”

Chihiro stands up and stares at him blankly. “What about them?”

“I’ve been on them too long.”

“It’s only been two months?”

Reo closes his eyes. “That’s too long believe it or not, my dear. You’re not meant to use them for longer than about six to seven weeks. They’re really only designed for one month’s use.”

“That doesn’t even make sense.”

“It’s for skipping a heat when you have something on, not for indefinite use. Anyway, don’t talk to _me_ about it, talk to all the drug companies who make them,” Reo says, frowning when more pain blossoms in his stomach.

“So… does that mean you should go off them?”

“Well yes, unless you want me to start coughing up blood or something equally as awful.”

“So you’ll get heats.” A statement, not a question.

“Obviously.” Reo looks up and sees Chihiro blushing. He smiles. “Chi-chan, what’s that face for?”

Chihiro turns away. “Nothing,” he says.

“You’re thinking about me in heat, aren’t you?”

Chihiro shoots him a glare over his shoulder. “I’m not.”

“You are! How naughty. I’m married, you know. It’s dangerous to be having thoughts like that about someone who’s taken.”

Chihiro growls. He walks over and climbs on top of Reo and kisses him again, this time more forcefully. “You’ve been just as eager.”

Reo giggles. “True, true.” He hoods his eyes. “Do you want to see me writhing desperately, Chihiro? Sweating and panting and begging for you?”

Chihiro growls again. “I _hate_ you.”

Reo chuckles. “Kiss me.”

Chihiro does, and he doesn’t even complain about the fact that Reo just threw up. Reo pushes him away after a few minutes because he feels sick again, and Chihiro sits back beside him and Reo rolls over to rest his head in Chihiro’s lap. His domestic plays with his hair until he falls asleep again.

When Reo wakes up again, Chihiro is still there. They’re on their own sides of the bed now, and Reo groggily sits up and presses his fingertips to his cheek, feeling imprints in his skin from his pillow.

“What time is it?” he asks.

“Sometime in the afternoon,” Chihiro says. He has his phone out and is looking at something on it. Reo leans over and tries to look at the screen, but Chihiro tilts it away from him. “Uh-uh. I have orders.”

“I thought you weren’t playing along with your orders considering we’re kind of together,” Reo says dryly, sitting back in his own spot.

“And that’s bad enough. Are you feeling better?”

“Not really. But I don’t want to be in bed anymore.” Reo stands up and a wave of sickness rolls over him. He closes his eyes and takes a few deep breaths, then goes to get ready.

Chihiro follows him into the bathroom to assist. “I can’t believe that brat even makes me wash your hair for you,” he mutters.

Reo makes a noise of amusement. “Careful there, he’s your friend. Or he’s meant to be.”

Chihiro growls. “Hardly. Our families are friends, not us.”

“Then why did he even hire you?”

“Probably because that giant friend of his is too lazy to do it and he doesn’t have anyone else because no one fucking likes him. And apparently, I’m trustworthy.”

Reo laughs. “You’ve proved _that_ wrong, haven’t you?”

“Just get in the damn bath.”

“You just want to see me naked. How perverted of you, Chi-chan.”

“Hmph.”

* * *

 

Seijuurou has been spending all his time with Tetsuya lately. He doesn’t really seem interested in Reo at all, which suits Reo just fine. Seijuurou has been lovely, gentlemanly and charming, but he has eyes for Tetsuya only. Reo does know he slept with Ryouta during his heat- Ryouta came to Reo to talk to him about it- but Reo is quite sure Seijuurou isn’t interested in him much either. Poor Ryou-chan, he thinks. He’s utterly smitten, and he’s just going to get his heart broken. But their charming husband being distracted by his youngest bride leaves Reo to get up to mischief in broad daylight.

Chihiro has him pressed against one of the shelves in the library, his lips attached to Reo’s neck.

“We’re not doing this here,” Reo says softly, his breathing shallow.

“Why not? You don’t like taking risks?” Chihiro bites his ear and Reo gasps.

“Not when it could potentially get us murdered,” he says.

“Please. Akashi wouldn’t even care.”

“Maybe so, but that doesn’t mean we should have sex in the middle of the library. Isn’t that sacrilege or something?”

“You’re too uptight,” Chihiro murmurs. He starts sucking on Reo’s collarbone.

Reo makes a little whimper. He’s slowly starting to give in.

“Um… excuse me.”

Chihiro practically leaps off him at the new voice. Tetsuya is standing there watching them with slightly wider than usual eyes.

“I should go,” Chihiro says. He gives Tetsuya a small bow and then bolts.

“Tet-chan, Sei-chan isn’t with you?” Reo asks. He tries to steady his breath and he quickly fixes up his clothes and hair.

“No, he went to see his father.”

Reo nods. “Um-” He pauses. “Tet-chan, are you feeling okay? You look a little pale.”

Tetsuya stares at him, and his eyes are sort of glazed over, as if he’s not really seeing Reo, and that’s when he falls over. Reo manages to catch him, luckily, and he can feel that Tetsuya’s skin is burning and that he’s covered in sweat.

“Crap,” Reo mutters.

There’s no call button in the library, so he carefully scoops his sister wife up and carries him back to his own room. He presses the call button and waits, inspecting Tetsuya while he does. He appears to be half conscious, his eyes moving around behind his eyelids as he makes soft little moans. Chihiro takes his sweet time getting there, finally turning up at least ten minutes later.

“What took you so long?” Reo asks as he enters the room.

“Shit, what the hell did you do to him?”

“I didn’t do anything! He fainted right after you left.”

“Is he sick for the same reason you were this morning?”

“I’m _still_ sick, I’m barely holding myself together. But yes, I think so.” Reo sighs. “You better call Sei-chan.”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Chihiro,” Reo says as he turns to leave. He takes the domestic’s wrist and pulls him closer, tugging him down and kissing him. “In case we get murdered.”

Chihiro snorts. “We’ll see. I’ll be back in a sec.”

He leaves, and Reo goes back to watching Tetsuya. He brushes the boy’s cheek with his fingertips. He’s cool and clammy now.

“What are we going to do with you, little one?” Reo says softly.

Tetsuya may have warmed up to their husband, but Reo knows he’s not ready for heats to start. If he gets taken off the suppressants now, that’s going to cause issues. It’s going to be a problem for Reo, too. Seijuurou’s certainly going to notice if he has another alpha’s scent all over him. He’s been covering it up easily so far, but smells during heats are far more intense than they usually are. Though Reo’s not so much concerned as to what Seijuurou would do, but more what his father would. Seijuurou has told Reo a bit about him during their lunches over the past few weeks, and the first-generation man does not sound at all pleasant. Considering he’s the one who paid for them, Reo is worried that he’d not be so pleased to find out what one of his investments has been getting up to.

Tetsuya groans, and Reo looks down at him to see him making a pained expression. His eyes flutter open, sort of unfocused. Reo pats his arm.

“Good to see you awake, little one,” he says, smiling in relief.

“What happened?”

“You fainted in the library.”

Tetsuya exhales slowly, closing his eyes again. “I’m not going to tell anyone what I saw.”

Reo stares at him in surprise. Then the door is opening and Seijuurou is rushing to the bedside, Chihiro lingering behind him in the doorway. Seijuurou brushes back Tetsuya’s fringe, feeling his forehead. He looks up at Reo.

“Thank you for looking after him,” he says.

Reo smiles. “Of course, Sei-chan. Can I talk to you for a minute?”

Seijuurou looks at him curiously. “Of course.”

He kisses Tetsuya’s cheek and murmurs to him that he’ll be back, then he follows Reo out of the room. Chihiro stays inside, seeming to want to be far away from them right now.

“What is it?” Seijuurou asks.

“Tet-chan is sick because he’s been on heat suppressants too long,” Reo says, getting straight to the point.

Seijuurou sighs. “I was wondering when this was going to happen. How are _you_ feeling?”

“Not much better,” Reo says with a grimace.

Seijuurou nods, looking away. “I promised Tetsuya I wouldn’t be intimate with you and Ryouta.”

Reo smiles. “That was inevitable.”

“If you go off the suppressants, I will be unable to help.”

“I’ll manage somehow.”

“Then you don’t have a problem with it?”

“Sei-chan, you know neither of us are interested.”

“My father is going to notice if you don’t become pregnant,” Seijuurou says. He’s looking Reo directly in the eyes, his gaze intense as only he’s capable of.

“So what do you intend to do about that?”

Seijuurou frowns and leans back against the wall, crossing his arms. “I have no idea.” He looks back up at Reo. “I’m in love with Tetsuya. I don’t want to be with anyone but him. But if you and Ryouta don’t, as my father says, ‘do what you’re here for’, I honestly have no clue what he’ll do.”

For a moment, Reo entertains the idea that Chihiro could get him pregnant. The thought almost makes him laugh aloud.

“Don’t force yourself into anything for my sake. You never wanted Ryouta but you forced yourself into that. I can’t speak for him, but I’m content with how things have been. If something happens to me now, I don’t care.”

Seijuurou smiles sadly. “You should care about yourself more than that. But I’ll do my best to protect you.”

“Talk to Tet-chan about the suppressants before you do anything else. This is a big step for him.”

“I know… Does he talk to you about this at all?”

Reo shakes his head. “We don’t really talk about things like that.”

Seijuurou nods. “Thank you again for looking after him,” he says. “I’ll take him to his own room now. You should rest yourself. I’ll have the suppressants stopped tomorrow.”

They go back into Reo’s room, and Seijuurou picks Tetsuya up and leaves with him. Reo drops onto the bed and closes his eyes. He feels dizzy after everything that’s happened today.

“So… what’s going to happen now?” Chihiro asks.

“Tet-chan said he’s not going to tell.”

“Do you believe him?”

Reo hums. “I don’t think he even knows how to lie.”

“What about us?”

“What do you mean? With heats?” Reo asks. Chihiro nods. “I guess you’ll have to stay away from me. Unless you know how to get your hands on condoms or birth control in this house.”

“I’m actually allowed to leave here, you know. That’s not even a problem.”

“Perfect. You’ll be able to continue screwing my brains out.”

Chihiro laughs. “You’re not usually that crude.”

“I feel like my brain is going to explode out of my head. I don’t have the patience to be modest right now, my dear. Now, let me sleep.”

“Do you want me to go?”

Reo tugs Chihiro down, and he falls on top of Reo ungracefully. “No.” Reo cracks one eye open. “But lock the door first.”

“Aye aye, my queen.”

“Mm, how respectful. I approve.”

“Well I’m _literally_ your servant.”

“Good. Now do as I say.”

“I think you need some of that power removed,” Chihiro says when he’s back on the bed.

“Tempting, but I am tired and in pain right now.”

“Shame.” Reo is rolled on his side and Chihiro gently pats his back. “Now hush. I prefer you when you’re healthy, you don’t complain as much.”

Reo scoffs. “I’m so lucky to have a man such as you.”

“Damn right.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lovely reader drew some amazing fanart of the story, so you should go look at it! [Here's the link on tumblr.](http://fanartomaniac.tumblr.com/post/155072072777/kuroko-tetsuya-in-a-wedding-dress-there-is-this)
> 
> Thank you once again for drawing it ^-^


	16. {16}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO. It has been a while. 
> 
> Happy New Year! I hope you guys all had a nice time. I got DRUNK. Very very drunk. And I may have spilled vodka in my eye. That's not even the worst drunk thing I've done. 
> 
> Sorry for not updating for so long, I've been reeeeaaally stressed. So many unpleasant things happening and I've just been literally unable to write because of it. 
> 
> We reached 200 kudos!! Eeeeeeep I'm so surprised! If I get over 100 on a story it's time to throw a party, so over 200 is amazing to me. And I feel like this story is undeserving of it even. Like this is ultimately a crappy first draft, so there's consistency errors and so many things that could be improved. If I'd not posted it chapter by chapter but waited until I'd written the whole thing, this story would be faaar better. But oh well. Maybe when I finish it I'll revise the whole thing and repost it as an updated version of the story. 
> 
> Anyways, read on.

When Kuroko wakes up next, he’s in his own bed, and Seijuurou is asleep beside him. Seijuurou’s phone is resting on the blankets next to his hand, and Kuroko thinks he could just so easily take it. Take it and hide it and wait till he’s alone and then call- But Seijuurou would definitely notice it missing. Instead Kuroko gently touches his arm to wake him.

“Mm, how are you feeling?” his husband asks sleepily.

“Awful,” Kuroko responds with a frown. “I feel like someone has pulled all my insides out, scrambled them up, and then put them back in. _And_ I have a headache.”

Seijuurou laughs, a sleepy, comfortable sound, and it makes Kuroko feel a little better. “That’s very specific. I’ll get you some painkillers.”

“Strong ones,” Kuroko says.

Seijuurou nods. “Strong ones.”

He sits up and stretches, then leans over to press the blue button beside the bed – the kitchen button. He talks to one of the cooks over the intercom and tells them to bring up dinner, then he settles back and pulls Kuroko against him, fingers idly playing at the hem of his shirt and occasionally sliding under a little.

“What are we doing now?” Kuroko asks.

“We’re waiting for dinner,” Seijuurou says, his tone happy as he snuggles against Kuroko.

“No I mean- about the suppressants.”

“Ah. Well, I plan to take you off them. Your condition will get worse if I don’t.”

Kuroko nods. “Okay, and _then_ what?”

“Well you’ll get heats. I should think that’s fairly obvious,” Seijuurou says with an amused smile.

“I know _that_. But I mean-”

“Are you asking if I intend to have sex with you while you’re in heat?”

“Yes…”

“Well that depends. What do _you_ want?”

Kuroko stares at him. “But-”

“Tetsuya. What do _you_ want?” Seijuurou repeats.

Kuroko continues to stare. “I don’t know,” he says honestly.

“Then nothing will happen,” Seijuurou says simply.

“Alpha ruts are a lot stronger when there’s an emotional connection,” Kuroko says.

Seijuurou looks curious. “That’s true. But your point is?”

“Will you be able to hold back?”

“You underestimate my self-control,” Seijuurou says with a smile. “If you don’t want it, then nothing will happen. You have my word. Besides, I’m not intending for the first time we have sex to be when you’re in heat.”

Kuroko tilts his head a little. “Why?”

“Because maybe I’d like you to remember it,” Seijuurou says, smiling again.

“Heats aren’t quite _that_ bad…” Kuroko mumbles.

“I know. But I want you to sleep with me because _you_ want it, not because your hormones do.”

There’s a brief knock at the door and then Kouki is coming in carrying two trays. He smiles and hands them over, then bows and leaves again.

“Does he think we had sex again?” Kuroko asks sarcastically.

Seijuurou laughs. “Maybe not this time, you look a little pale,” he says, pushing back Kuroko’s fringe and pressing the back of his hand to Kuroko’s forehead. “Have you mentioned this to him?”

“He knows a bit…”

Seijuurou grins and kisses him. “So you kissed and told, huh?”

“We did a bit more than kiss…” Kuroko mumbles, looking away in embarrassment.

“Mm, that’s true… Maybe we should continue with that…”

“I’d like to eat, please, Seijuurou,” Kuroko says, turning his head away so his husband misses his mouth and kisses his jaw instead.

“I like it when you say my name.”

“It feels weird. I want to use an honorific,” Kuroko says.

“You can if you really want to. But it’s been two months of our marriage,” Seijuurou reminds him.

“Two months isn’t that long. And I still called my friends back home with honorifics, and I knew them since childhood,” Kuroko says.

“‘Back home’,” Seijuurou echoes softly.

Kuroko winces and ignores the comment. “I won’t use one, then.” He eyes his husband cautiously. “You should eat before your dinner goes cold.”

“We’re going to have the anniversary party on Saturday,” Seijuurou says, sitting up properly and starting to eat.

Kuroko nods. “Who’s going to be there?”

“Family friends, colleagues. Lots of people I don’t care about and who I don’t want to talk to.”

“Well, I’ll be there at least.”

Seijuurou smiles. “I’m glad for that.”

They finish eating, though Kuroko leaves at least a third of his food on his plate. Seijuurou gently chides him for not eating enough as he moves the trays away.

“Tetsuya,” he says when the dishes are cleared. “Do you want to come back to my room?”

Kuroko stares. “And sleep there?” he asks.

“That was my intention, yes.”

“Okay, I will,” Kuroko says.

Seijuurou smiles widely at him. “Perfect. Bring something comfortable to wear. You can have a bath there.”

Kuroko nods. He moves to stand up and he feels a wave of nausea and dizziness, and he stumbles a little, catching the bed post to steady himself. Seijuurou is instantly at his side.

“Are you all right?” he asks.

“I’m fine. Thank you- for the concern,” Kuroko replies, a little breathily. His heart is pounding in his chest.

“Do you need me to carry you?” Seijuurou asks with a hint of mirth.

“That’s really not necessary.”

“If you say so. I’ll be here if you need me.”

Kuroko shuffles off to his wardrobe, feeling Seijuurou’s eyes on his back, and he knows his husband is smiling. It’s infuriatingly embarrassing. He picks out some pyjamas, and as he’s about to head back out, his gaze stops on the piles of lingerie Kouki has left here for him. He hasn’t touched any of them since the first night they were introduced, but he’s kind of tempted now. He sets down the pyjamas and leans over to inspect the delicate items. There’s one piece that catches his eye in particular, a vintage looking lingerie suit made of white lace, with a little pink satin skirt at the bottom. It’s a bit more modest than some of the other things here, and Kuroko thinks maybe he should try it. He pulls it out from the pile and hides it between his pyjamas, then goes back out to the room.

“Ready?” Seijuurou asks.

Kuroko nods, and they leave the room, heading to the elevator and going up. Kuroko has seen Seijuurou’s room plenty of times, but he’s never actually stayed the night. He’s admittedly a little nervous. He doesn’t even really know why. It just seems like a big step.

“This way,” Seijuurou says, gently directing him to the bathroom.

It’s just as fancy as the main room, with a clawed feet bathtub like Kuroko has, as well as marble tiles, and there’s even a TV screen built into the wall. Seijuurou starts filling the bathtub, and as Kuroko waits for the water to rise, he notices something.

“Are the floor tiles heated?” he asks.

Seijuurou nods. “Yes. So are the towel racks.” Kuroko makes a little hum. “What?” Seijuurou asks.

“You just have so many nice things. It must be nice to have been able to grow up like this.”

“It is. Sometimes I wish I could be a bit more normal though.” He stares at the floor. “Maybe if my mother were still here…”

Kuroko bites his lip. “Can you tell me about her?”

Seijuurou seems a little surprised. “Her name was Shiori. She had long hair, red like mine. She’d read me bedtime stories when I was little. She was caring. I have no idea what she was doing with my father. Even when she was alive, he wasn’t…” He stops.

Kuroko steps closer to him and slides his arms around Seijuurou’s waist, tucking his chin against Seijuurou’s neck and closing his eyes. After a moment arms are wrapping around him as well.

“Sorry,” he says. “I didn’t mean to make you upset.”

“It’s fine.” Seijuurou pats Kuroko’s hair. “Do you want to bathe together?”

“If you want…” Kuroko murmurs, embarrassed again.

Seijuurou laughs softly. “If you don’t want to-”

“No, I do,” Kuroko insists. He steps back and starts taking off his clothes.

Seijuurou’s body is beautiful. Kuroko can’t help but stare a little as his partner undresses; he feels so underwhelming next to him, with his skinny, weak body.

“Why do I get the feeling you’re thinking something that’s not nice?” Seijuurou asks with a raised brow.

Kuroko shakes his head. “It’s nothing.”

“Tell me, Tetsuya.” His voice is a little commanding; firm, but not unkind.

“I was just thinking how much more impressive you are. I’m not very interesting to look at next to you…”

Seijuurou scoffs. “That’s ridiculous.” He picks Kuroko up and steps into the bath with him. “You’re far more beautiful than I am.”

“You are blind, then.”

“Not at all. It is you who is blind.” Seijuurou taps Kuroko’s nose playfully.

Kuroko feels a little dizzy, and he closes his eyes for a moment, jerking back to consciousness when Seijuurou’s arms tug him closer.

“You’re going to drown if you do that. Are you not feeling well?”

“Just- a little dizzy, still.”

His back is pressed to Seijuurou’s chest, his husband’s arms holding him up. He feels tired.

“Okay, we’re getting out.”

Seijuurou lifts him up and drains the bathwater, stepping out and grabbing a towel to wrap around Kuroko. He dries him off, which is probably a good idea as Kuroko isn’t sure he could do it on his own right now. Seijuurou sits him down on a little stool and then dries himself off.

“Do you need help getting dressed?” he asks.

“No, no that’s okay. I can do that much myself,” Kuroko insists, feeling slightly bothered that he can’t take care of himself.

“I’ll wait outside, come out when you’re ready,” Seijuurou says, then he leaves.

Kuroko gets up, slightly wobbly, and teeters over to where he set down his fresh clothes. He picks out the bodysuit from before, eyeing over it for a while. He decides he may as well, so he slides into it, finding that it fits comfortably, the lace soft against his skin. Because of the ribbons at the front, and the little skirt, it wouldn’t fit under his pyjamas, so he decides to go back out how he is. It’s summer anyway, and he’d probably overheat if he wore the other things.

Seijuurou is standing beside his bed, wearing sweatpants but without a shirt, his back turned to Kuroko. Kuroko stares at him, eyes raking over the muscles of his back and the curve of his spine. He shakes his head and then approaches his partner.

“Tetsuy-” Seijuurou stops when he turns around. His eyes are wide as he looks over Kuroko’s figure. “Interesting,” he says after a moment, his lips curling into a smile.

“Why do you like boys in lingerie so much?” Kuroko mumbles as he steps into Seijuurou’s opened arms.

“Why would I not? You look beautiful.”

Well Kuroko can’t really argue with that. He caught himself in the mirror before coming out, and he _did_ look nice.

Seijuurou kisses his cheek and then releases him to pull back the covers of the bed. They climb in, and Seijuurou presses against him, scooping his arms around Kuroko and holding him close.

“You’re very affectionate,” Kuroko comments.

“Is that a bad thing?”

“No, I like it…”

“Good, because I’m not going to stop.”

Kuroko smiles and kisses Seijuurou. “Goodnight, Sei,” he murmurs.

Seijuurou beams at him, then snuggles in closer. “Goodnight, Tetsuya.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying out some new formatting. I had to edit each line so it looked like this, so if you guys like this better I'll write the actual chapters in this format. I don't like writing in it as much but it looks better online imo. Hm. Let me know what you all think about it. 
> 
> [Here's the lingerie suit Kuroko was wearing](http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u494/herdustisverypretty/frilly%20lingerie_zpssowdkibz.jpg?t=1483827658) (´∀｀)♡
> 
> Sorry this chapter wasn't impressive. It's just filler fluff. More interesting stuff *is* coming. Actually it's about to get a wee bit crazy...


	17. {17}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi. It's been a while. I want to say sorry for not updating for so long. I've been.. well, I've been having a rotten time. 2017 is off to a terrible start for me. I've spent the majority of this year so unbelievably stressed. It's been one horrible thing after another, and I just haven't been able to write because I've been feeling so awful. 
> 
> On top of that, my laptop (that's barely a year old) has died on me, and we need to get it fixed. I've just got the hard drive that had all the data on it back, so I at least have my stories again. I ended up buying Microsoft Office on my desktop (it was like $179???? ouch) so while I don't have my laptop, I can still write on here. So ya. It's just been. Awful. Not good. Very bad. Not happy. 
> 
> In case you didn't already see, I added the bonus chapter into the main work (check chapter 8). Also I've edited and added new content to other chapters. Mostly just small bits and pieces. I'm still in the process of editing stuff because there's so many errors in this work. I don't have a beta reader so it's all just me, a stressed, sleep-deprived mouse. Pls understand. 
> 
> I also apologise for this chapter. You're all going to hate me after this.

The next few days pass without incident; both Kuroko and Reo are taken off suppressants. Kuroko is feeling much better, but he’s worried that a heat could occur at any moment, and he’s especially concerned considering tonight is the anniversary party. He feels fine right now, but he has no idea what effect the suppressants had on his cycle. Seijuurou has been absent all morning; after quickly eating with Kuroko he left to go prepare for the event. Momoi and Ryouta come into Kuroko’s room around lunchtime, and Momoi says she’ll act as Kuroko’s domestic for the day, since Kouki is busy adjusting clothes for the party.

“Don’t you need to be doing that as well?” Kuroko asks.

Momoi blushes and her eyes dart around the room, avoiding both omegas. “Well, you see, I’m not so good at sewing apparently. Kouki-kun has been doing all my work…”

“Momocchi, you’re not a very good domestic,” Ryouta says.

“That’s mean, Ryou-chan!”

“You always forget to bring me food! And it’s not like I can just get it myself!”

“Sorry, I’ll try to do better,” Momoi says with a sheepish smile.

“So, Tetsucchi,” Ryouta says, his tone indicating he’s changing the subject, “you and Seicchi have been spending a lot of time together.”

Kuroko feels a little uncomfortable at the new direction of conversation. “Um, yes,” he says.

“He hasn’t touched me since last week,” Ryouta sighs. He eyes Kuroko. “What have you been doing?”

Momoi leans in, curious as well.

“That’s not really your business,” Kuroko says, shifting away from the others a bit.

“Come on, we’re wives, we share a husband, we can tell each other what goes on,” Ryouta coaxes.

“Actually, I am under no obligation to tell you anything. What goes on in our own rooms is private unless we choose to divulge it ourselves,” Kuroko replies.

Ryouta frowns. “Okay. Do you want to go down to the pool then? It’s already really hot.”

“Sure,” Kuroko nods. Anything to get away from Ryouta’s incessant questioning.

Ryouta suggests they also ask Reo if he wants to join them, but his door is shut and he doesn’t answer, so they leave him be. Kuroko wonders if he’s with his domestic again. He’s playing a dangerous game… Kuroko has no intention of revealing any of what he knows, but he’s still concerned about what might happen if they get found out.  

Momoi takes them down in the elevator and out to the pool area, and Ryouta runs to jump in immediately, much more confident in the water now. Seijuurou taught him to swim easily, and Kuroko even thinks he’d make a good teacher with the way he gently explained and encouraged. Since Momoi isn’t just staff but also a friend of the family, she’s allowed to relax as well, and she plays with Ryouta in the water, while Kuroko stays in the shallow end, sitting on the steps so his body is mostly submerged, but so his feet are still able to touch the floor. They stay outside splashing around for a long time, until Kouki comes out to find them.

“I was looking everywhere for you!” he says breathlessly. “Can you come in to try on your outfits? I want to make sure they fit properly.”

He insists they bathe first, saying he doesn’t want the new clothes to smell of chlorine. He drapes a silky blue bathrobe over Kuroko’s shoulders when he’s out of the bath, then he’s pulling Kuroko out of the room and back to the elevator.

“What’s the hurry?” Kuroko asks.

“We’re meant to be leaving in an hour,” Kouki answers. “I need to make sure you’re perfect.”

An hour. In an hour, Kuroko will finally leave this mansion. He’s not sure what he’s feeling, it’s like a mix of excitement and anticipation, but also uneasiness and fear. He’s never been to a party before as well, and he doesn’t really know what to expect. He’s seen events like these shown on TV, but they never really showed much of the socialising, mostly just the outfits of the attendees. His wedding wasn’t filmed, but Kuroko wonders if there’ll be cameras at this party tonight. He thinks that even if the event _was_ filmed, it’s unlikely his friends will see it. Kuroko is still unsure of what he’s even doing. He’s accepted his new life, he’s kind of happy even, but it hasn’t stopped him from clinging to the past. If only he could just let them know he’s _safe_.

Kouki takes him to the sewing room, and Momoi and Ryouta are already there. Ryouta is twirling around to show off what he’s wearing, an ivory lace dress that comes down nearly to his knees, the skirt puffed out a bit by the amount of gathered fabric. It has long sleeves of matching lace, and pearls sewn along the neckline. Kuroko thinks how once again Kouki has made something incredibly beautiful. He’s talented.

Kouki carries over the dress for Kuroko and tells him to try it. Kuroko shrinks away behind a set of mannequins to change, not wanting to do it right in the middle of the room where his sister wife is still happily showing off his outfit to Momoi. When he’s in the dress, he goes back out and lets Kouki fiddle with it.

“You’re wearing a dress too?” Kuroko asks Ryouta.

“Isn’t it cute!?” the blonde chirps.

“So you don’t mind the dresses?”

“We always played dress up at the orphanage when I was little. And we were told omegas are meant to look pretty at all times, so I’ve worn them lots,” Ryouta answers. “And they do make me feel pretty. And I like feeling pretty.”

Kuroko can’t argue that he does look nice. With his pale skin, delicate features, and long legs, the lace dress compliments him perfectly.

“Momocchi, I’m feeling kinda sick, I think I was in the pool too long. Can we go back upstairs?” Ryouta asks.

“Sure, the dress fits perfectly anyway so we don’t need to make any changes,” Momoi nods.

“‘We’ meaning ‘me’,” Kouki says.

Momoi smiles sheepishly. “Thank you for your efforts, Kouki-kun,” she says with a bow.

Kouki waves his hand dismissively and smiles. “Just doing my job.”

After Momoi and Ryouta leave, Kouki quickly attends to a slight gape on the dress, then tells Kuroko he can change again.

“The dress is nice,” Kuroko says softly as he pulls it carefully over his head.

“I’m excited to see you wear it out. I hope you get pictures for us,” Kouki smiles.

“Will the party be filmed?” Kuroko asks, doing his best to sound casual.

“Possibly. The Akashi family is very well known, so there might be cameras. Anyway, I’ll take you back upstairs, we need to start getting you ready.”

They go back to Kuroko’s room, and Kouki immediately starts fussing. He directs Kuroko to the vanity to put makeup on him, though the domestic insists that it’ll barely be noticeable. Kuroko doesn’t mind the look of it so much -at least when Kouki keeps it natural- but he doesn’t really like how it feels. It feels heavy and stuffy, like his skin can’t breathe. He doesn’t think he _needs_ the makeup, but he’s content to let Kouki primp away for now. At least he doesn’t have to do this often.

When Kouki is satisfied with Kuroko’s face, he lets Kuroko return to his bed to relax for a little while. He offers to give a foot massage, which Kuroko is initially going to turn down (he really doesn’t like people slaving over him) until Kouki reminds him he’ll be in heels all night.

“You can give me one when we get home too,” Kuroko instructs as Kouki is rubbing his feet.

The domestic grins. “Of course. You can tell me all your adventures from the night then as well.”

Kuroko is on the verge of falling asleep when he’s being gently tapped to wake up. “Hm?” he mumbles.

“Time to go,” Kouki says with wide, excited eyes.

Honestly Kuroko feels like he’s going to throw up a little, he’s so nervous. He’s unsure that if presented with the opportunity to slip away at this party that he wouldn’t just run. Instincts, he supposes.

Kouki herds him out to the elevator, and they go down and then through a hallway that leads to a garage. The other wives are already in a car waiting for him.

“Aren’t you coming?” Kuroko asks when Kouki goes to shut the car door.

“Afraid not. You’re on your own tonight. Don’t worry, you’ll do fine. You’ll be back before you know it.”

He leaves, and Kuroko notes with disappointment that the windows of the car are tinted so darkly that he can’t see out at all. Ryouta is giggling with excitement and bouncing a little in his seat, and he starts playing with a remote that controls music in the car. Kuroko stares at his knees and tries not to lose his lunch. Reo takes his hand and squeezes it gently, and when Kuroko looks up at him he’s met with a reassuring smile. It calms him down enough to make it through the drive. Eventually the car stops, and Kuroko’s door is opening revealing loud chatter of people, bright lights, and Seijuurou standing there waiting to take his hand. He helps Kuroko out of the car, and there’s lights flashing as cameras take photos of them.

“Why did you come separately?” Kuroko murmurs.

“Father’s orders. And that’s generally how these events go,” Seijuurou answers. He helps the other two out of the car, then leads them into the building, Kuroko, being the First Wife, on his arm by his side; the favourite for all to see.

Inside the building appears to be a restaurant, with elegant table setups, a bar, as well as a large dance floor. The room is filed with people wearing expensive looking suits and dresses, and there are a few people with cameras filming the room.

“Are they going to film our outfits?” Kuroko asks.

“Ooh I hope so!” Ryouta says, stepping forward and clutching Kuroko’s free arm. “I want to be on TV!”

So do I, Kuroko thinks. Though his reasoning may be _slightly_ different.

“We’re the stars of the party so I’m sure they will,” Seijuurou says.

He leads them into the room a bit further, and the cameras spot them and come rushing over. They tell the wives to twirl in their heels to show off their dresses, the cameras panning up and down to capture their looks. When the cameramen are satisfied, Seijuurou takes the glittering omegas over to a group of people. Masaomi is there talking to more first-generations, and he smiles at his son when they approach. He introduces the wives to his friends, and then Seijuurou whisks them off to where Midorima and Kazunari are standing at the edge of the room.

“You came as well?” Kuroko asks.

“Of course,” Midorima nods, adjusting his glasses.

“Are Murasakibara-san and Tatsuya-san here?”

“They went to the parents’ room,” Midorima says. “Why they would bring children to an event like this is beyond me.”

“Now, now, Shin-chan,” Kazunari says, tapping his husband’s arm. “They can’t just leave them at home.”

“Get a babysitter.”

Kazunari scoffs. “You have such maternal instincts. Now, wifeys, talk to me. Leave the wretched alphas to talk about muscles or whatever it is they talk about.”

“We talk about far more refined topics than that,” Midorima says, but Kazunari ignores him, herding the other omegas a little away from him.

Kuroko can’t help but notice that Kazunari is wearing a suit, not a dress. “You have a different dress code to us?” he asks.

Kazunari cocks his head, then turns back to the alphas. “Shin-chan, do you want to see me in a dress?” he asks.

“You would look ridiculous,” Midorima grunts.

“I guess that’s a no!” Kazunari turns back to Kuroko. “I would be if it weren’t for Shin-chan. It’s tradition for omegas in these new gen marriages to wear stuff like that. I think it’s meant to symbolise the wives being submissive property. Like in the really old days when even alpha girls didn’t have the same equality as guys.”

“That’s hardly a nice thought,” Kuroko says with a frown. “We’re not property.”

“Hate to break it to you, wifey, but you kinda are. Even I am. Once I married Shin-chan, I pretty much lost my identity,” Kazunari says.

“Then why did you do it?”

“Because as much as he is an idiot, I do love him. And it’s not as if I was going anywhere else in life. If you asked Akashi, I’m sure he’d stop the dresses. Actually I think by this point it’s mostly your domestic doing it.”

Kuroko spots Murasakibara and Tatsuya approaching; Tatsuya is holding the toddler boy, while Murasakibara carries the little girl, Fuyuka, on his shoulders.

“Oh, are we splitting up?” Tatsuya asks when he sees that the group has divided into alphas and omegas. Murasakibara sets Fuyuka down, and Tatsuya starts to take her over to the omegas when Murasakibara stops him and kisses him. “Atsushi, we’re in public,” Tatsuya says, blushing.

“I can kiss you if I want to. That’s the whole point of being married,” Murasakibara says, shrugging.

“Mummy and Daddy, you’re being gross,” Fuyuka complains.

“Yes, yes, we’re being gross, come on,” Tatsuya says with a grin.

The group of omegas chat for a while, mostly it’s Ryouta peppering Tatsuya with questions about parenthood, until their alpha partners come over to tell them dinner is starting. Seijuurou takes them over to a table, pulling out each of his wives’ chairs for them. Kuroko sits to his right, Ryouta beside Kuroko, and Reo beside him. To Seijuurou’s left is Midorima and then Kazunari. Murasakibara and Tatsuya are at a separate table with their children.

“Where’s your father sitting?” Reo asks, though he appears to be more interested in inspecting his crystal wine glass rather than the question.

“With some of his colleagues,” Seijuurou answers. “Talking about work no doubt.”

“Do we need to talk to anyone else?” Ryouta asks. “Like be sociable?”

“I can’t imagine you’d have much fun talking to these people,” their husband smiles. “Mostly just first generations who know my father. You’ll have plenty of time to mingle after dinner though, if you wish.”

Kuroko loses count of how many courses they have for dinner, but there’s at least five, and Ryouta and Kazunari help him eat the later dishes when he can’t eat anymore so it looks like he’s had at least some of them. As they’re eating dessert, a first generation man comes up to their table and asks to borrow one of the wives for a dance. Kuroko can tell Seijuurou isn’t pleased about the idea, and Kuroko can’t blame him, the first generations at this party look just as menacing as Seijuurou’s father.

“I shall volunteer myself,” Reo says with a smile that Kuroko suspects is fake.

As soon as the first man has taken Reo to the dance floor, another comes up to steal them away. Ryouta goes this time, though he doesn’t seem to have any problem; he’s having fun.

“Someone’s going to ask me, you know,” Kuroko murmurs, leaning into his husband’s ear.

“I know. I’m dreading it.”

“ _You_ could always ask me to dance,” Kuroko suggests.

Seijuurou smiles and opens his mouth to speak when they’re suddenly being interrupted.

“May I perhaps borrow your lovely bride?”

“Father,” Seijuurou says, looking like the human equivalent of a deflating balloon. “Of course.”

“Wonderful,” Masaomi says. He holds out his hand and Kuroko reluctantly takes it, standing up and being led over to the dance floor.

He’s danced before, he practiced with his parents when they were alive, and he’s practiced with Aomine and Kagami as well. He hasn’t had too much experience with it, but he knows enough to avoid stepping on his partner’s shoes.

“My son seems quite fond of you,” Masaomi says, placing his hand on Kuroko’s waist. Kuroko wants it gone. “You seem to like him as well.”

“I do,” Kuroko says, avoiding the man’s gaze.

“He’s been ignoring his duties. You have duties as well, you know. Maybe you can remind him of what needs to be done.” Kuroko says nothing, doesn’t look the man in the eye. “Thank you for dancing with me. I can see why Seijuurou is so enamoured with you.”

He takes Kuroko back to his table, and kisses his hand before leaving. Kuroko is trying not to frown as he sits back down, surreptitiously wiping the back of his hand on his napkin.

“Did he say something?” Seijuurou asks softly.

“No, nothing, he just makes me a little uncomfortable,” Kuroko says. He wonders why he’s lying.

“Seicchi,” a quiet voice says. Kuroko turns around to see Ryouta approaching them, looking pale and his feet stumbling a little. “I don’t feel so good.”

He collapses, but Seijuurou jumps up quick enough to catch him. Kuroko leaps up to assist, helping to hold the blonde up. They gently move him to the floor, Seijuurou kneeling and keeping Ryouta’s head propped up on his lap. Masaomi appears, inspecting the delirious omega.

“Bring him to the back lounge area,” he says to Seijuurou. “I’ll have a closer look at him.”

Midorima and Kazunari are shooing away the crowds of people while Seijuurou and Kuroko lift Ryouta up to follow after Masaomi.

“Stay out here,” Seijuurou murmurs to Kuroko when they get to the lounge area. “I don’t want you to worry.”

“I’m going to worry regardless,” Kuroko says.

Seijuurou smiles. “Stay here,” he says again. He carries Ryouta into the back room, leaving Kuroko to wander back to the others.

Reo is nibbling on his nails, waiting for him. “Is he okay?” he asks.

“I don’t know,” Kuroko says.

Reo smiles reassuringly. “I’m sure he’s fine. Let’s go get some more punch while we wait, hm?”

Kuroko nods, following after his taller companion to the bar. They linger around in the hallway that leads to the back area where Ryouta rests, sipping from crystal glasses. Finally there’s movement, Seijuurou coming out of the door looking tired.

“Is he okay?” Kuroko asks.

“He’s fine,” Seijuurou says softly.

“Why did he faint?” Reo asks.

Seijuurou inhales and exhales slowly. “Ryouta’s pregnant.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is 89 pages in Word (ﾟ∀ﾟ　) I think the longest story I ever wrote was about 60k words, so far this one's 37. GETTIN THERE. 
> 
> Uh yeah so um I'm sorry. I hope you don't hate me after this chapter...


	18. {18}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to mention this, but I started [a tag on my blog](http://seijuuroll-cake.tumblr.com/tagged/chemicals) with stuff related to this story. It's mostly just a dumb aesthetic tag tbh, but maybe you will find it of some interest. 
> 
> Uhhhh I hope u liek this chapter. ／(≡・ x ・≡)＼

Kuroko is sitting in the cherry blossom garden. They left the party over an hour ago, and with all the fuss over Ryouta, he easily slipped off unnoticed into the dark garden. He's currently on the old garden swing that he sat on with Seijuurou the morning after their wedding. It feels like an age has passed since then. He's been sitting and gently swinging with his foot for a while now, though he's not sure how long it's been. Everything feels surreal.

“I've been looking for you.”

Kuroko looks up to see Seijuurou approaching. He looks tired, but he's smiling. He sits down beside Kuroko, but they're not touching, and Seijuurou doesn't try to initiate anything.

“How is he?” Kuroko asks, knowing his husband will understand who he refers to.

“Okay. He was asking for you, but he's asleep now.”

Kuroko stares at the ground blankly, then he looks up, gazing around at the trees. “They're not blooming anymore,” he says.

“The cherry trees?” Seijuurou asks.

“Yes.”

“That's because it's summer. These ones have fruit now.”

“Back in Tokyo, all the trees were grown to bloom all year round. In the parks around the city, the blossoms were always there.”

“That sounds nice,” Seijuurou says.

“Sort of. They weren't proper trees though. The flowers in the parks too, everything in Tokyo was always blooming, but they didn't feel right. They didn't smell right either. They smelled like cleaning products, not perfume. Artificial, chemical things. Not natural,” Kuroko says.

“Sounds a bit like us.”

Kuroko nods. “Yes. _We're_ not natural.” He looks around again. “But these trees are natural.”

“Is there some sort of metaphor in there, or am I imagining it?” Seijuurou asks.

“I don't know. Maybe.”

Kuroko watches as Seijuurou stands up and wanders over to one of the trees. He reaches up and plucks a few of the cherries off, then carries them back to the swing.

“Want one?” he asks.

“It's definitely not poisonous?” Kuroko asks.

“Never.”

Seijuurou pops one into his mouth first to prove it, then he holds another to Kuroko's lips until he parts them.

“You know, lots of cherry blossom trees don't produce fruit, they're just decorative,” Seijuurou says when they've eaten.

“How come you have ones that do?”

“My grandparents planted them I think,” Seijuurou says. “My mother once told me that her favourite season was summer because she could go out and pick the cherries to eat. She always baked pies for us with them as well.”

“That sounds nice,” Kuroko says, giving his partner a smile.

Seijuurou clasps their hands together between them. “It was.”

They sit in silence for a minute, and Kuroko's mind wanders back to the party, in particular the dance with Masaomi.

“Your father _did_ say something to me,” he says softly.

“Hm? When?”

“When I danced with him. He did say something.”

“What did he say?”

Kuroko exhales a sigh. “That we have duties. And we're not doing them.”

Seijuurou looks down at the grass beneath their feet. “I see.”

“What are we going to do?” Kuroko asks.

“I don't know... You're not ready for that. And I’m not going to let my father force us into anything again,” Seijuurou says. Kuroko squeezes his hand a little. “I don't know what's going to happen though.”

“You can rely on me,” Kuroko says. “You're not alone in all this.”

Seijuurou smiles. “I know. Thank you.” He squeezes Kuroko's hand back. “Come on, we should get some rest. It's late.”

“Do you want me to stay with you again?” Kuroko asks.

“I would like that a lot,” Seijuurou nods.

They start walking back to the mansion, and as they reach the door, Kuroko stops them and leans up to press a kiss to Seijuurou's cheek.

“What was that for?” his husband asks with a smile.

“Just letting you know I'm here,” Kuroko answers.

Seijuurou hums and leans in to kiss him back, a sweet, light touch to his lips. “And I'm thankful for that. Come on.”

They go inside and go straight to Seijuurou's room, they both just want to go to bed. Since Kuroko doesn't keep clothes in this room, his husband lets him borrow some of his own pyjamas as they're about the same size. Kuroko notes that it feels intimate and 'coupley', borrowing each other's clothes. They settle into bed, but neither of them seem to be falling asleep; Kuroko is tired, but he can't stop thinking, can't let his brain rest.

“Are you awake too?” he asks.

“Yes,” Seijuurou responds quietly.

Kuroko's back is pressed against his chest, and he rolls over in Seijuurou's arms to face him. “Are you worried?” he asks.

“A little.”

“About Ryouta?”

“Yes. I can't see him raise this child without my support, but I still can't give him what he wants,” Seijuurou says. “Maybe I should have been firmer with my father, told him I didn't want to be married.” He finally looks into Kuroko's eyes properly. “But then I wouldn't have met you.”

Kuroko wraps his arm around Seijuurou's neck, holding the back of his head so their foreheads press together. “Just do what you can. But please take care of yourself as well.”

“Well I would do anything you ask,” Seijuurou says.

“Anything?” Kuroko interrupts.

His husband raises a brow. “Perhaps. Did you have something in mind?”

Kuroko blushes at the way he's being stared at, and he flips over to face the other way. “I was merely asking. There's nothing I want right now.”

Seijuurou chuckles and presses against Kuroko's back again. “Try to sleep then.”

* * *

When Kuroko finally wakes, Seijuurou is gone. He sits up in bed, taking in the empty room as he yawns and stretches. He gets up and checks the bathroom first, but it's also empty. He wanders out into the hall, not really sure what he's doing, he hasn't had the opportunity to explore this floor before, so he doesn't know where all the doors lead. He finds the elevator and tries pushing a button, and to his surprise, the doors open. Perhaps only the wives' floor needs a keycard? He steps in and presses the button to his own floor. As soon as the doors open, there's noise.

“Oh! Wifey!” Kazunari says. He's leaning against the wall looking excited. “You're wandering around without an escort? How naughty.”

“Well I didn't have much choice. It was that or sit in Seijuurou-kun's room all day,” Kuroko says, tacking on an honorific for politeness in the face of an acquaintance.

“Mm, fair. He probably wants to see you anyway.”

“Where is he? What's going on?” Kuroko asks.

“He's in with Blondie.” Kazunari nods his head towards Ryouta's door. “Go see for yourself.”

Kuroko narrows his eyes in suspicion, then heads into the room. Ryouta is sitting in his bed, arms crossed and wearing a petulant pout. Seijuurou, Reo, and Momoi are surrounding him.

“Come on, Ryou-chan, just eat,” Reo says in an exasperated voice.

“No! I want crepes,” Ryouta responds. He turns his nose up, shuts his eyes, and huffs.

“Tetsuya,” Seijuurou says. “You've joined us.”

“Tetsucchi!?” Ryouta says. “Come sit with me, Tetsucchi!”

Kuroko internally sighs and goes as summoned. He drops down on the bed beside Reo.

“Pancakes aren't so different to crepes!” Momoi says. Apparently they're having trouble getting Ryouta to eat.

“They are!” the blonde insists.

“You've never even had crepes. Orphanages don't serve things like that. You won't even know the difference,” Reo says.

“I'll eat them if you don't want them,” Kuroko offers, feeling his stomach rumble a little at the sight of the plate of pancakes beside Ryouta.

“Share with me then!” the blonde squeals, his eyes bright and sparkling.

Reo scoffs and gets up to leave as they start eating. Momoi leaves as well, so it's just Seijuurou and his two remaining spouses, the alpha watching them both eat.

“Have you had breakfast?” Kuroko asks him.

“Not yet,” Seijuurou answers.

“Have something brought here, so you can eat with us,” Ryouta says.

Seijuurou smiles at him. “I'll have something a bit later.”

Ryouta pouts at the answer, so Kuroko decides to change the subject. “How are you feeling this morning?” he asks his sister wife.

“Oh, all right I guess. Just really tired, I want to sleep. But I feel fine now otherwise?”

“That's good. Now that you've eaten, maybe you should rest some more,” Kuroko suggests.

“But I don't want you to go,” Ryouta says, looking between his company with wide puppy eyes, batting his long eyelashes.

“We can stay with you for a bit,” Seijuurou offers. “Until you fall asleep. Then you won't notice that we're gone.”

Ryouta purses his lips. “Mm, okay.”

Seijuurou clears the plates off the bed, and Ryouta shuffles down under his blankets. He insists on holding hands with his company, one holding onto Kuroko and the other onto their husband. He thankfully falls asleep quickly, snoring lightly, his hands going lax and allowing Kuroko and Seijuurou to slip free.

“I'll check on him again later,” Seijuurou whispers as they go out into the hallway. “And I hate to leave you, but I should probably return to work.” He brushes Kuroko's hair gently, his eyes moving over his younger partner with affection.

Kuroko nods. “Will I see you later?”

“Of course. I'll be back in the evening. We can spend some more time together then.” Seijuurou sighs. “Things are going to be very different around here.”

They part ways, Kuroko returning to his own room. He presses the white call button and waits for his domestic to show.

“You've had an eventful twelve hours,” Kouki says when he arrives.

“I have.” Kuroko falls back onto his bed. “I'm exhausted, and I just slept all night.”

Kouki hums. “A bath will help with that.”

He ushers Kuroko into the bathroom and sets up the tub for him, dropping in some bath salts that smell like lavender. It actually reminds Kuroko of Seijuurou, it's his signature scent. He's curious if the lavender scent is natural -alphas and omegas all emit wide ranges of scents- or if it's perfume. He'll have to ask. He's never met an alpha with such a gentle and delicate scent before. Not that he's met many, Aomine and Kagami are the only he's ever really spent much time with before now, only having spent brief moments with the other alphas working at the factories. And when he was little and attended school, the other children were too young to have presented, so he's really not had much experience with other alphas. Or anyone actually. He supposes he's lived a relatively solitary life. He has more friends now than he ever did back in Tokyo growing up.

After bathing, Kouki shuts the curtains and lights a few candles, offering to give Kuroko a massage, and Kuroko is so mentally exhausted from the past few hours that he just accepts. He finds himself grateful in the end, he hadn't realised how much tension he'd worked up in his shoulders after the party. He even manages to fall asleep, completely relaxed with the scent of the vanilla candles burning beside him.

Something is wrong though. Kuroko wakes up feeling slightly dizzy and hotter than usual in the air-conditioning of his luxurious room. He props himself up, shaking a little and feeling sweat dripping down his temples. His heart is racing, and he feels a twisting in his stomach. It's an all too familiar mix of feelings, though something he hasn't felt for quite a while now. He staggers to his feet and almost falls over again, clinging to his bed post desperately. He forces himself to the bathroom to look in the mirror, finding his hair all over the place and his cheeks flushed a rosy red. His pupils are dilated, his shirt sticking to him from sweating during his nap. He splashes cold water on his face and goes back to his bed, collapsing in exhaustion. And to confirm things even more, as if he needed it, he feels a dampness in his underwear, the wetness leaking down, sticky and slimy between his thighs.

He's in heat.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How bout that title reference ayy? ☆(･ω･*)ゞ
> 
> I wrote the first half of this in a suicidal slump. Not even suicidal just like "welp if i die idc". Long story short, I missed my bipolar medication for a few days soooo. Yeah. Idk if that affected the writing at all? When I read it again it feels kinda depressing but maybe that's just me remembering the mood from when I wrote it. And also the fact that it IS depressing at this point in the story (what am I saying, the whole story's depressing). 
> 
> UHHH YEAH WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN AFTER THIS? WHO KNOWS WHO KNOWS? /i know/


	19. { look at your lips; my body has melted }

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YOLO
> 
> UHHHHH REALLY HIGH NSFW SEXUAL CONTENT WARNING FOR THIS ONE. Also slight dub-con. (it's in the tags u guys knew what u were signing up for) 
> 
> Also some light Kisekuro. Mostly platonic (sorta). You'll see. 
> 
> Chapter title from VIXX's Secret Night (which is really just a song about sex. really obviously too. it's kinda gross lmao.) Apparently the smutty chapters of this story are getting titles. Cool. 
> 
> Not beta read or re-read/edited by me because it's 4am and I need sneep. Why do I do my best writing when sleep deprived? This is a problem. If you find an error let me know so I can fix it.

Hot. Too hot. Kuroko rolls over, trying to move into a more comfortable position, but it's impossible. His body is aching, hot and throbbing and desperate to be touched. He wants Seijuurou, but Kuroko won't allow himself to have him, he _can't_.

He raises his hips and pushes his borrowed pyjama pants down, kicking them off the bed somewhere. Slightly better, but he's still overheating. He'll have to apologise to Seijuurou for dirtying them later, but that's not a concern right now. Kuroko rolls over, then rolls back, shifting and moving to try to get comfortable, but it's ultimately useless. He considers running a cold bath to just sit in, but that requires so much _effort_. He drags himself up to crawl across the bed so he can press the domestic call button, then drops down in exhaustion.

“Tetsuya-san, you ra-” Kouki stops dead as soon as he crosses the threshold. He shuts the door and hurries over to the bedside. “Are you okay? How long ago did it start?”

“I don't know, feels like forever,” Kuroko moans. He slumps onto his back to look blearily up at his domestic. “Help.”

“Right, I'll set up a bath for you. That'll help cool you down. Do- Do you want Seijuurou-sama?”

“No,” Kuroko says, and it might have been a little too quick. “Um, no, not yet thank you.”

“Okay. I'll be back in a second. Just try to relax.”

Easier said than done, Kuroko thinks as he lets his eyelids flutter shut.

There's a gentle knock at the door, and Kuroko is too hot to bother answering. It opens and Kuroko instantly smells coconut. Ryouta.

“Tetsucchi? How are you feeling?” he asks, footsteps indicating he's approaching the bed.

“Dreadful,” Kuroko says weakly. “How did you know?”

“Um, the smell is flooding the whole floor. I sent Mayuzumi-san and Momocchi away so they wouldn't get distracted.”

Kuroko sighs. He really can't understand why having alpha domestics is a good idea. At least Momoi's been appropriate. Kuroko's not too sure that's what Mayuzumi has been considering what Kuroko knows.

“Do you need anything?” Ryouta asks. His voice is shy and awkward sounding.

“No,” Kuroko breathes. “Fine.”

“Kay... Want me to stay with you?”

Kuroko opens his eyes to see Ryouta looking at him with wide, worried eyes. He nods.

“Sure, that's okay,” he says. He closes his eyes again.

“Tetsuya-san, the bath is ready,” Kouki's voice says a minute later.

Kuroko sighs again, then hands are pulling him up. Ryouta's arm is around his waist, helping him to the bathroom. Kuroko doesn't mind stripping off in front of him; he likes Ryouta, he feels like a little brother, despite being a year older. Kuroko gasps as his body touches the cold water of the bath, his eyes flying open at the temperature shock.

“Better?” Ryouta asks with a smile.

“Yes, much,” Kuroko answers.

Both domestic and fellow wife sit with him as he calms down in the water, though eventually Kouki is telling him to get out when his skin has pruned so much it feels like it's going to just fall off. The moment he's out of the water, he's sweating again. Kouki and Ryouta help him into a pair of shorts and a singlet, then take him back to his bed. The air-conditioning is blasting on the coldest setting, but Kuroko is still burning. Kouki gets him a glass of ice water to drink then leaves, content that Ryouta will keep him company.

“Does Seicchi know yet?” Ryouta asks softly.

Kuroko shakes his head. “Don't tell him.”

Ryouta bites his lip and nods. “I won't. But he'll come back soon anyway, right?”

“Tonight,” Kuroko says.

“Sh-Should I tell him not to?”

Kuroko contemplates his answer. “I don't know,” he says after a few minutes have passed.

“Tetsucchi, I know you don't want-”

“Mm-” Kuroko mumbles, grabbing onto Ryouta's arm. “No more talking.”

“Okay.”

Ryouta crawls forward and curls up next to him, clasping their hands together. Kuroko feels calmer with him nearby, and he subconsciously turns towards his sister wife a bit. He vaguely registers a kiss to his cheek before he falls asleep.

Kuroko wakes up to a smell. It seems pleasant at first, lavender with a touch of grapefruit perhaps, and then he bolts up when he realises exactly what it is. The sky is dark, Ryouta is gone, and the bed beside him is cold. Kuroko staggers out of bed and stumbles over to the door.

“Sei-kun?” he murmurs carefully, pressing his palms flat against the wood.

“Tetsuya,” his husband's voice calls back. He sounds strained. “You've locked me out.”

“I didn't do that,” Kuroko says. Seijuurou's scent is pushing through the gaps in the door, seeping through the wood and turning Kuroko's brain to mush. It's so sweet, not rough and masculine like Aomine and Kagami's were. It's addictive.

“Your domestic perhaps. Tetsuya,” Seijuurou repeats. Kuroko can't speak. He sinks down to the floor, panting. “Can you let me in?”

“No,” Kuroko moans.

“Why not?” Seijuurou sounds almost desperate now.

“Don't want that,” Kuroko says, shaking his head defiantly.

“I'm not going to do anything you don't want.”

“How can I be sure?”

“Because I love you and I'm not an animal.”

“Humans are closely related to orangutans,” Kuroko says. “Technically you are.”

Seijuurou makes a weak laugh. “Please let me in, Tetsuya.”

Kuroko takes a deep breath. “Okay,” he says. He gets onto his knees and turns the inner lock on the doorknob, then falls to the floor on his back.

The door opens and strong arms are scooping him up immediately. Seijuurou's scent is even stronger now, and it's making Kuroko mad. He wants the alpha to touch him, but he's concerned Seijuurou won't stop. Also concerned that he himself won't want to stop. He's laid down on the soft bed, Seijuurou climbing over him. Seijuurou leans down and nuzzles at Kuroko's neck.

“You smell amazing,” his husband murmurs. “Like crème brulee.”

“Haven't been told that before,” Kuroko says. He's almost delirious. He can feel wetness between his legs and his half hard cock throbbing. “Only ever heard just caramel. Guess my friends weren't as elegant as you.”

“Shush, don't talk about them,” Seijuurou says.

He licks Kuroko's neck, right where his scent gland is. The spot tingles. Seijuurou moves lower and brushes his nose over Kuroko's chest, the skin half uncovered from his revealing top. He tugs it down and licks over a hard nipple. Kuroko moans, his back arching a little.

“Can I help you?” Seijuurou asks softly. His voice is so low compared to how it normally is.

“Aah- No, I-” Kuroko stifles a moan when Seijuurou nibbles at his chest. “What if you can't stop?”

“I can. I promise.”

Kuroko moans again when Seijuurou's hips press against his own. He's already completely hard, and Kuroko feels slick drip down his thighs just from that light touch.

“Okay, I- I trust you,” he says.

He opens his eyes to look into Seijuurou's. They're dark and wide, almost fearsome looking. Seijuurou kisses him, tongue pushing into Kuroko's mouth, easily overpowering him.

“I won't do anything you don't want,” he repeats when he pulls back.

Kuroko nods, licking his lips that are already wet with his partner's saliva. It tastes almost sweet.

Seijuurou strips him of his clothes and pushes Kuroko's legs apart. Kuroko might have blushed if he weren't so beyond caring. All he wants is Seijuurou to touch him. His husband lifts his hips up and hooks his legs over his own shoulders, and Kuroko blinks his eyes open to see what he's doing when all of a sudden Seijuurou's mouth is over his hole, tongue sliding through the slick and lapping it up. Kuroko nearly screams, but in the end he's only able to make a tiny squeak at the burning hot sensation. Seijuurou's tongue pushes inside him as deep as it can go, licking and sucking and kissing. A long, thin finger joins it, rubbing around the rim of Kuroko's entrance before sliding inside, stroking gently. Kuroko can feel tears in his eyes, and he's making soft little incoherent sobbing noises. Seijuurou slips a second finger into him, spreading them gently and delving deeper than his tongue can go, curling a little, and his fingertips press against Kuroko's spot and he actually does scream this time.

Seijuurou pulls his mouth away, gasping and licking his swollen lips. “Come, Tetsuya,” he instructs.

He gently rubs the spot again and Kuroko shivers violently, coming over his stomach and chest. He pants, desperate for breath, and Seijuurou leans down and kisses him. Kuroko can taste his own omega fluid on Seijuurou's tongue, sweet and flavoured like burnt sugar. Seijuurou leans down and swipes his tongue through the mess on Kuroko's torso, swallowing visibly and making Kuroko shiver again.

“You taste amazing,” the alpha says, nipping at Kuroko's scent gland.

Kuroko moans softly, partially from embarrassment and partially because he's so turned on still. He's still weak, but he manages to push Seijuurou back and flip them over still. He leans over his husband's clothed crotch and starts to peel down his pants.

“Tetsuya?”

“Shh. I need to help you back,” Kuroko mumbles, mostly high still after his orgasm.

Seijuurou goes quiet, watching intently as Kuroko tugs down his underwear. Kuroko wastes no time, immediately closing his lips around Seijuurou's cock and sinking down as far as he can go. He slides back up, his tongue making little circle motions along the underside, then swallowing as much as he can take again. He pushes lower, forcing Seijuurou's cock down his throat, then starting to move up and down quicker. Seijuurou is breathing harder and biting down on his bottom lip, but he's not making any sounds. Kuroko doesn't mind though, he can tell he's pleasing his alpha still. He slides up and dips his tongue into the slit that's leaking bitter fluid, then goes to swallow again when Seijuurou makes a soft gasp and the thick liquid is spilling into Kuroko's mouth. He manages to swallow most of it, but some still dribbles down his chin. He sits back and wipes it up with the back of his hand, then laps up the remains. Seijuurou groans and pulls Kuroko on top of him, connecting their cherry red lips in a heated kiss.

They kiss for a while, both gently grinding their hips together until they're both hard again, Kuroko dripping slick onto Seijuurou's thighs. Seijuurou wraps a hand around both of their cocks, and Kuroko feels tears slide down his face from the overstimulation, whimpering incoherently again. He rocks into Seijuurou's hand, and he comes within seconds, crying out before collapsing in exhaustion. Seijuurou thrusts up against him a few times until he's coming as well, and Kuroko's a little amazed at how much come splashes between them considering Seijuurou's come twice times now. Alphas are intense.

But he feels sated, for now at least. Tired as well. But Seijuurou seems content to let him just lay there. Kuroko must have fallen asleep, as he blinks his eyes open groggily to find Seijuurou gently laying him down on his back on the bed.

“Need to clean up,” Seijuurou explains with a warm smile.

“Mm, tired,” Kuroko says.

“You rest then, I'll do it.”

Seijuurou brushes back the damp hair of Kuroko's fringe and places a kiss to his forehead, then gets up to go to the bathroom. Kuroko sighs happily and shuts his eyes. He falls asleep in an instant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So about Kise. He does have a crush on Kuroko. Basically his wish is for him, Kuroko, and Akashi to all be together and be a big happy family. Is he going to get his wish? Weeeeelllllll-
> 
> This chapter was gross. I need Jesus. 
> 
> There's this dumb aesthetic post that's been sitting in my tumblr drafts for ages and I want to reblog it to my /chemicals tag but it's kinda spoilery??? I mean. It's really non-specific and vague but like.. if you saw it you'd probably guess the thing I'm planning. SO I'M NOT GONNA POST IT YET. I shall be patient. Even though it will hurt me.
> 
> PLS GIVE ME THE COMMENT THING BECAUSE AUTHOR NEEDS VALIDATION AND REASSURANCE THAT I DO NOT IN FACT SUCK. This story is honestly a hot mess. In more ways than one.


	20. {20}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is so short (；¬д¬)
> 
> I was going to do more with it, but then decided it wouldn't really work, so I'll do it in the next chapter. Hopefully I can make the next one longer. PRAYER CIRCLE FOR MY MUSE. 
> 
> Following Kise this time, since we haven't gotten to see much about him personally (☞ﾟ∀ﾟ)☞
> 
> btw; changed Mayu's name in the story (except in Reo's chapter). I was calling him by his given name, Chihiro, because he was originally going to be like Furi, a beta orphan who was bought by the household to be a domestic, but then I was convinced into making him an alpha, and so obviously I had to change the lore around to accommodate for that, but I never changed his name to fit until now. So I finally did it. That is all.

Ryouta is curled in his bed, hiding under the covers. He puts his air-conditioning on and then buries under the fluffy blankets, trying to escape from the rather distracting smells of alpha and omega coming from down the hall. He pushes his nose into his silk pillow.

“Ugh! This isn't helping!” he screeches to himself.

He leaps out of bed and goes into the hall, momentarily dizzy from the stronger smell out there. He goes to Reo's room and knocks on the door.

“Come in,” a soft voice calls out.

Ryouta pushes the door open and shuts it after entering. Reo is on a chair in a corner of the room, a book in his hands.

“Ryou-chan,” he says. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Is this driving you as mad as it is me?” Ryouta asks, perching himself in Reo's lap and hugging him.

“Doubtful.”

Ryouta groans. “I can't think straight.”

“Well you had your turn,” Reo reminds him. “We have to share here, remember?”

“I know, that's not the problem.”

“And the problem is-?”

“Can't they leave the floor? Go to Seicchi's room or something. I want to drown myself.”

Reo laughs. “You're just disappointed you're not being asked to join in.”

Ryouta blushes. “It's just distracting, is all.”

“I know.” He pushes Ryouta off him and stands up, crossing the room to his nightstand and pressing the domestic call button.

“What are you doing?” Ryouta asks.

“Calling Chi-chan. I'm sure he would be willing to take us somewhere.”

“I told him to stay away,” Ryouta says. “So he won't be distracted as well.”

Reo smirks. “He'll come if I call him.”

And he does, turning up within a few minutes with his usual blank expression. It actually reminds Ryouta a bit of Tetsuya.

“You summoned me?” he asks.

“That makes you sound like a demon or something,” Ryouta says.

“Accurate, as I did in fact come from hell,” the domestic says. He turns to Reo. “What do you want? It smells up here.”

“That's why I called you. Use your magical servant powers to take us to another part of the property so Ryou-chan can think again.”

“Fine, I guess I can do that. Follow,” Mayuzumi says, turning and starting to leave.

Ryouta leaps up and follows after the others, the trio going into the elevator. The doors shut and he sighs in relief. He looks up at Reo and Mayuzumi, eyeing them suspiciously. “How come you two are so okay?”

Reo smiles. “I've not slept with Sei-chan,” he says. “I'm not connected to him like you are.”

“But Tetsucchi's smell is driving me crazy too?”

Reo tilts his head, giving the blonde omega a curious look. “Afraid I can't help you there, Ryou-chan.”

The doors open and they follow Mayuzumi down a hallway until they come to the kitchen.

“Ooooh snacks!” Ryouta says excitedly.

“Still craving crepes?” Reo asks.

“Not at the moment, though I could really go for pudding right now.”

They sit on bar stools around a counter while one of the kitchen staff gets a cup of pudding for him. He giggles with glee when the dish is finally set down before him.

“You're probably going to become a nightmare pretty soon,” Mayuzumi grunts as Ryouta eagerly digs in.

“What do you mean?” he asks with a full mouth.

“Cravings, I think,” Reo supplies. “They're bound to get worse.”

“I don't think this was a craving, I think I was just hungry,” Ryouta says. Mayuzumi snorts in response.

After they finish eating, they go to the main library, that the rest of the house has access to. It's even bigger than the one on the wives floor, but Ryouta is feeling sleepy, so he just curls up on one of the squishy couches in a reading area while Reo and Mayuzumi poke around at books.

He falls asleep, his rest plagued with dreams of his orphanage, everything dark and echoey, and his sisters' faces appear and they giggle and take his hand to try pulling him back towards them into the darkness. The noise dissolves and the small amount of light there is goes black. He wakes up in an unfamiliar room, Reo sitting on the bed beside him with a book open.

“Reo-nee?” he mumbles. “Where are we?”

“Chi-chan's room,” Reo answers.

“He's not here?”

“He thought he'd leave us alone for a bit. I suspect he's wandering around somewhere. How are you feeling? You slept for a while.”

“What time is it?”

Reo looks over at the clock on the bedside table. “It's just past midnight.”

“I had a nightmare,” Ryouta says softly.

Reo sets his book down and scoots closer, sliding an arm around the blonde's waist comfortingly. “Want to tell me about it?” he asks.

“Not much to tell,” Ryouta shrugs. “My sisters were in it.”

“You have sisters?” Reo asks. Ryouta nods. “You haven't talked about the orphanage before.”

“It's in the past. Does it matter?”

“It might,” Reo says, patting his back a little.

Ryouta sighs. He lived in an orphanage for betas and omegas, alphas normally being housed elsewhere so they wouldn't get tempted by omegas during that time of the month, or even the betas when they were driven wild with hormones from ruts. His two older sisters stayed there as well, one an omega and the other a beta. He's been trying not to think of them. Especially since his oldest sister's 20th birthday is soon.

“Why is the world so broken?” he asks.

Reo sighs gently and rubs his back again. “I don't know, Ryou-chan. I guess we just have to hope that someday soon things will get better.”

“Do you think it'll happen?”

“I like to think it will, yes.”

“Do you think you'll live to see it?”

Reo smiles. “I hope so. Now hush, this kind of talk is only going to upset the baby.”

Ryouta snorts. “Please. It's barely two weeks old. It's fine.”

“I'm just trying to look after you,” Reo says with a roll of his eyes.

“I know, I know.”

“We can sleep here tonight if you want. Chi-chan said he'd stay with Kou-chan.”

Ryouta nods and yawns. “Okay. Stay close, all right? I don't want to have another nightmare.”

“Of course, Ryou-chan. Get changed first, Chi-chan brought some pyjamas for you.”

Ryouta drags himself to his feet to start changing. “How come he's fine as well? He can just walk around our floor without being bothered by Tetsucchi?”

Reo makes a thoughtful noise. “Ah yes, well. Maybe that's something I should tell you about.”

“What?”

“We're sort of, erm, together.”

Ryouta stares at him. “ _What_!?”

“Well it's not as if I was getting any action with Sei-chan! What did you expect me to do? Not take advantage of the cute alpha bringing me breakfast every morning?”

Ryouta bursts into laughter. “Reo-nee, you're amazing, you know that?”

Reo smirks. “I try.”

“Does anyone else know?”

“Tet-chan knows, but that's it. I trust you won't go blabbing this, yes?”

“Of course, my lips are sealed,” Ryouta says with a grin. He crawls back onto the bed in his fresh pyjamas. “So, erm... sex... with alphas...”

Reo laughs. “I already gave you The Talk, I'm not doing it again.”

“I don't need it! I've done it too, if you remember!”

“I remember, all right. You crying in my room for hours because it was so magical,” Reo says.

Ryouta blushes. “Shut up. Is Mayuzumi-san the only one you've done it with?”

Reo gives him an amused look. “Of course not.”

“Then who?”

“How do you think I made money?” he asks, hooding his eyes.

Ryouta stares at him for a moment until it clicks. “Oh! I- I didn't-”

“A couple more years and that's likely what you would have been doing too, you know. Orphanages tend not to hang onto adults.”

Ryouta goes bright red. “My oldest sister worked at the orphanage so she could stay with us, I'm-I'm sure they would have let me stay too if I worked,” he scrambles to say.

Reo smiles. “Of course. Well it doesn't matter. You're here now.”

“What was it like?” Ryouta asks with wide eyes.

Reo tilts his head to the side in consideration. “Not great. But it kept me alive. Gave me something to do, a place to live, money to buy whatever I wanted. I didn't need anything else. I didn't need friends or romance, they wouldn't keep me breathing.”

“Sounds kind of lonely actually,” Ryouta says softly.

“I suppose it was.”

“Are you happier here? With me and Tetsucchi and Seicchi and Mayuzumi-san?”

Reo smiles and pats his head. “Yes. Now go to sleep. You need to rest. And so do I.”

Ryouta nods and settles down, snuggling against Reo's chest for comfort, falling asleep easily to the sound of his steadily beating heart.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lame ending because I'm annoyed and don't want to work on this chapter any longer. It is what it is. Take it.
> 
> Announcement time! I'm looking for a beta reader ヾ(＾∇＾) My usual isn't available and hasn't been for some time, so I need another one. You'd have to be okay with spoilers obviously, though you can opt out of talking about future chapters so you're just editing the current chapter if you wish. You can discuss it with me more if you're interested, message me on tumblr/twitter/kik (check my profile for them). 
> 
> Okie, see you next time~~ ヾ(°∇°*)


	21. {21}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly want to die. But I know if I tried I'd just end up in the hospital drinking charcoal again. Who wants to volunteer to kill me so I don't have to?
> 
> I don't want to write. I don't want to do anything. I don't know what I'm going to do or what's going to happen. Everything's so negative. On tumblr, on youtube, in real life, in my head. I'm just done. I might stop writing for a while. I just don't feel like it. I can't imagine it would be very entertaining like this either. 
> 
> Thank you to those who helped me with this chapter. 
> 
> If I somehow magically feel better and start writing again, I must apologise in advance. There is much pain left for this story. Things have to get worse before they get better right?

Kuroko's heat ends. It only lasts two days, but by the end of it, he's exhausted, and he ends up sleeping for nearly twenty-four hours straight. When he finally wakes up, he's alone in his room. His hair is a mess, and he’s in desperate need of a bath. So he presses the domestic call button and waits for Kouki to show up to help make himself presentable again. He's gotten so used to being cared for that he's almost forgotten what it was like to bathe without someone washing his hair for him. 

Kouki takes a while. He finally turns up, almost twenty minutes later.

"What took you so long?" Kuroko asks, rubbing his sleep-filled eyes. He blinks them open to see Kouki looking quite distressed. His eyes are bloodshot, his nose is red, and he's trembling a little. "What's wrong? What happened?"

Kouki takes a shuddering breath. “It’s Momoi-san.”

“What about her?” Kuroko asks. He’s getting worried now, his domestic has never shown himself to be upset like this before, and it can’t mean something good.

“She turned twenty last month,” Kouki says, his bottom lip quivering.

Kuroko feels his stomach turn over. “What?”

Kouki sniffles. “She was coughing up blood this morning. It’s- It’s happening to her.”

Kuroko pulls his domestic into his arms, squeezing him tightly. Kouki starts crying softly, and Kuroko holds him tight until his tears stop falling.

"Sorry, I'm sorry," Kouki mumbles, stepping back. "Seijuurou-sama and Ryouta-san are with her now. If you want to, I can take you to her room."

Kuroko nods. "I'd like that."

"Hang on, I can't let you go looking like that," Kouki declares, shaking his head. "Let me fix you up first. It's my job."

Kuroko nods and squeezes his hand. They go into the bathroom together, silent throughout the morning routine. When Kuroko is finally clean and dressed, they leave for the elevator, still opting to uphold their silence. The house feels still and quiet, as if life has paused completely, and the only movement in the whole world is Kuroko moving step by step after his domestic. They go up, and people are filling the hall. Attendants and people who smell like hospitals – doctors, Kuroko assumes. He hates that smell. It makes him think of death. When they step into Momoi's room, the smell of medicine is even stronger. She's propped up against a pile of pillows on her bed, and she looks tired; her face is pale and her hair is damp with sweat. Ryouta is sitting on the bed beside her and holding her hand, his eyes wide and shiny with unshed tears. Seijuurou is standing beside them looking stony-faced. 

“Tetsuya,” he says softly, beckoning Kuroko over.

"Tetsu-kun," Momoi greets with a weak smile. "I don't want you to see me like this."

“What are you talking about, Momocchi?” Ryouta says. “You look as pretty as you always do.”

Momoi smiles and pats his hand.

“Are your friends coming?” Ryouta asks Seijuurou.

“Yes, they’ll visit later. We shouldn’t have too many people in here at the same time.”

“Tell them not to bother with little old me,” Momoi says, waving the hand that isn’t being gripped tightly by Ryouta.

“They’re your friends too,” Seijuurou reminds her.

“Mm, I know. But I feel bad for making everyone worry.”

“Let us fuss,” Kuroko says softly. “It’s the only thing we can do.”

Momoi stares at him for a few seconds, then she nods without a word.

Midorima and Kazunari turn up a while later. Seijuurou says he’ll take Ryouta and Kuroko back to their floor, but they both insist on staying. Their husband lingers to the side of the room after that, his face blank of emotion. He’s not usually this quiet, and Kuroko knows he’s upset too.

Kazunari is bubbly and energetic for the first hour. He tells Momoi jokes that make her laugh, only to then send her into coughing fits. After a while, he stops and just stares at his hands without talking. Midorima takes over, and he starts reminiscing about when they were at school together. Ryouta joins in, asking questions and requesting for them to tell him stories about their past time together. Eventually Seijuurou comes back over and joins in. Kuroko sneaks his hand into his, and Seijuurou grips it so tightly that their fingers turn white.

Midorima and Kazunari leave, and after a little while, Murasakibara arrives with Tatsuya. Murasakibara tells Momoi to sit up, then he starts braiding her hair silently.

“Oh, you’re getting better at this Mukkun,” she says. She starts coughing again.

“Have to. Fuyu’s hair is getting long. Thanks for letting me practice on you.”

“Of course,” Momoi manages to choke out.

Seijuurou gives her a glass of water, and when she can speak properly again, she asks Tatsuya about their children. Tatsuya smiles and tells her that the baby, Jinichi, is confident walking on his own now, and has started to speak a few words.

Momoi falls asleep, and Seijuurou softly tells everyone they should leave her to rest. Ryouta is hesitant, but Kuroko wraps an arm around his waist and gently tugs him off, telling him they can come back later. He notices as they leave that a few of the people waiting outside in the hall go into the room after them, and Kuroko spots one holding a needle. He squeezes his eyes shut and concentrates on Ryouta’s warm and healthy body pressing against his side.

* * *

 

Five months pass. Five more heats that Kuroko has had to deal with, though Seijuurou has been there to help him through them. They still haven't slept together though. Kuroko has come pretty close to begging when his mind has been clouded with lust from monthly hormones, but they've both resisted.

Every month for a few days, Reo also locks himself in his room and doesn’t come out. Kuroko leaves the wives’ floor and stays in Seijuurou’s room when that happens. He’s not worried that Seijuurou would be upset or angry, but if their husband found out, he’d have to lie to his father. It’s bad enough that the wives are hiding things, Kuroko doesn’t want Seijuurou to have that burden as well.

Ryouta has grown. He complains that he's gotten huge, but he still has four months left to go. Kuroko would remind him that he's still going to get bigger, but it'd probably make him cry, so he keeps quiet – his blonde friend has become incredibly sensitive. His complaining has also gotten worse, and he whines and cries and throws tantrums. Everyone forgives him for it though, because he's been throwing up every meal, has swollen ankles and a sore back, he's constantly hungry, and he's been cooped up on the wives' floor for two months now because Seijuurou won't let him leave for fear of something happening to the baby.

Momoi has been relatively stable. She's gotten a little worse; coughing up blood every day as well as developing a slight yellow tint to her skin. She's bedridden most of the time, but she's alive. For now. Kouki has taken over her duties and cares for Ryouta as well as Kuroko, though the blonde usually sends him away.

At the moment things are quiet. It’s dawn, the sky only just beginning to shine with hints of soft, grey light. Kuroko is in Ryouta’s room, his sister wife sleeping deeply beside him. Reo is here as well, on Ryouta’s other side, also asleep. Ryouta insisted on having a ‘wives’ night’, so Seijuurou went over to Murasakibara’s house with Midorima and Kazunari. Mayuzumi left to visit his parents, so Kouki is the only one who remains to keep an eye on them, coming in to check on the trio every so often.

Kuroko has been awake for a while. He’s lying on his back, his shirt pulled up to reveal his stomach, his fingers idly tracing over the skin. Male omegas’ stomachs aren’t flat but slightly curved, a result of their uterus positioning, just like girls of any dynamic. Kuroko slides his hand over the small bump and wonders what it would be like to have it grow with a baby. It’s a strange idea, but it intrigues him. He likes children, and he’s good with them, and he loves Seijuurou. But what if they don’t find a cure? Seijuurou only has five years left. Kuroko has nine. If a cure for this virus isn’t found, their baby would be left parentless. Kuroko couldn’t bear to do that to his own child, not when he already knows what it’s like. Tears spring to his eyes at the thought of spending four years alone after Seijuurou reaches twenty-five. They need a cure. _He_ needs a cure.

He wipes the tears from his eyes and rolls over, shuffling closer to Ryouta and wrapping an arm around him. Ryouta responds, pressing back instinctively and helping Kuroko to calm down a little. Kuroko wakes up later, sitting up groggily and glancing to his side to check on the others. Reo is awake and sitting at the vanity table, brushing his hair and staring into the mirror with unfocused eyes. Ryouta is still asleep and snoring lightly. Kuroko carefully stands up and walks over to sit down beside his oldest companion.

“Morning,” he says.

Reo looks at Kuroko’s reflection in the mirror and smiles. “Morning. Feel like breakfast?”

“Not yet. We should wait till Ryouta wakes up.”

"That'll take forever. He's sleeping all the time now."

"Well, he has to wake up at some point today. He has a photo shoot."

Seijuurou's father, who has become quite enamoured with Ryouta as of late, arranged for a pregnancy photo shoot with him and Seijuurou. Seijuurou confessed to Kuroko that his father has stopped bugging him about getting his remaining two wives pregnant since he's focused on doting on Ryouta so much. Kuroko feels relieved, not just for himself but for Reo too. He hopes it will stay like this for a while.

"You wake him," Reo suggests with a smile. "I'm not strong enough to resist his pouting."

* * *

 

Aomine and Kagami have been living half in cheap hotels and half in their car, but they're running out of money, so they've started working in Kyoto, and they're both feeling pretty useless with their hunt for Kuroko. They tracked down the hospital they were looking for, but they've not been successful in finding much information about the guy who owns it. Apparently, it belongs to some Akashi family, but that's as far as they've gotten. There appears to be zero information on the family itself, and they have no idea where they can be found, and no one in the hospital would give them any help either.

Aomine is currently sitting in one of the shitty hotel rooms they've paid for and watching the minuscule TV. It's some program showing off the wives of rich house governors. This one is showing an alpha house governor with his pregnant omega wife, both of whom are smiling and embracing each other on the screen. Aomine scowls at them. He hopes that's not the fate Kuroko had, but he also knows it's probably the best option for him. He'd rather one alpha having control over him than the twenty million there would be if he was sold to a brothel. He's hoping the third alternative isn't what happened as well.

Kagami is in the shower, having come back recently from a day working in a factory. They were picked up pretty quickly, being taller, stronger, and more fit and healthy than most others in their social status, alpha or not. He finally comes out of the bathroom with his hair dripping and almost black from the water, not even with a towel wrapped around him. Aomine looks him over. He's an alpha, so he naturally prefers the more padded omegas to his own usually hard and muscled dynamic, but he's always appreciated Kagami. He doesn't have the personality of an alpha a lot of the time as well. He's physically strong, and he can overpower even Aomine, and he can be hot-headed, but he's always been somewhat awkward and even shy sometimes. Maybe that's why Aomine likes him so much.

“What the hell are you staring at?” Kagami grunts.

Aomine grins. “Just appreciating that ass. Very round.”

Kagami scoffs. “Fuck off and stop ogling me, you perv.”

Aomine lays back on the lumpy bed and closes his eyes. He tries to think of Kuroko, how he feels, how he smells, how he tastes. He frowns when his mind draws a blank. He knows Kuroko smells like vanilla, but the exact scent just isn't coming to him. Neither is the feel of Kuroko's hair between his fingers, or his body underneath Aomine's touch. What he _can_ remember is only vague and distant. He concentrates harder and Kuroko’s voice comes to him. Gentle and sweet, but full of force and strength when he wants. Aomine wants the real deal again.

“What are you watching?” Kagami asks as he dresses.

“Some bullshit wife program. Look at them.”

Kagami turns around and looks at the screen. The redheaded alpha and the blonde omega are being interviewed now, but Aomine’s muted the volume.

“Hmm,” Kagami hums. “I hate how they look happy. Wonder if that one was kidnapped too. If those smiles are fake.”

Aomine turns the TV off. “I don’t wanna know.”

He grabs Kagami and pulls the other alpha on top of him, and Kagami bites the tip of his nose playfully. Aomine laughs and slaps his backside that’s only clothed with his underwear.

“We’ll try harder tomorrow,” Kagami promises. “There’s gotta be someone who knows something.” He looks into Aomine’s eyes as he brushes his fingers through short navy hair. “We’re going to find him.”

“Yeah,” Aomine says, avoiding Kagami’s gaze.

He's starting to doubt his own words…


	22. {22}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo. Sorry for disappearing there for a while. I was (as you may know) writing other things, but I took a break from Chemicals. I only started writing this chapter a couple of days ago. 
> 
> This year has honestly been the worst year of my life, and I'm not even actively suicidal anymore. Which says a lot. Currently my life is more awful than when I wanted to die. HMMMMMM THAT SOUNDS GOOD. Anyway, nothing I can do about it, so whatever. I'm like um'ing and ah'ing over how many details I should share with you here. Basically: I'm not going to kill myself, but I'm having a real shit time so forgive me for being crazy and doing what I did; aka going on a long hiatus. It may happen again, who knows. 
> 
> Btw, you may want to reread the story again. I updated it with the MidoTaka sisters, but there's really not a huge amount of detail with them. I may write some little sidestories with Kuroko interacting with them though. They'll also be in it more in the future. 
> 
> Chapter warnings: character death
> 
> Sorry in advance for being the devil. ALSO SORRY IF I SWAP TENSE. I'VE BEEN WRITING IN PAST TENSE LATELY AND IT'S CONFUSED ME.

Kuroko wakes up to Kouki gently shaking him. He’d been having a nap in his room, and as he blinks his eyes open, he sees the sun is starting to set now.

“Mm? What’s wrong?” he asks sleepily.

“It’s Momoi-san,” Kouki says. Kuroko instantly sits up. His domestic isn’t crying today, but he does look pale. “I think you’d better come see her.”

Kuroko nods and gets up. He doesn’t even bother dressing properly, just follows Kouki straight out of the room. Momoi is on the same floor as Seijuurou’s room, and the smell of medicine is always lingering in the hall now. Kuroko avoids it and sticks to his husband’s room when he’s there. Momoi has been sending the doctors away though, so at least they’re not hovering around anymore. Her door is slightly ajar, and Kuroko can already hear her coughing as the elevator doors open. When they enter Momoi’s room, she glances at them, but she can’t stop her coughing to even say hello. Seijuurou is there, and Ryouta is sitting beside the bed, tears dripping down his face. Kuroko walks over and puts a hand on Momoi’s arm in comfort. A small drop of blood splatters onto his skin when she coughs particularly violently.

“Where’s Midorima-san and Kazunari-kun?” he asks softly.

“They’re with their sisters,” Seijuurou answers. “Kids don’t need to see this.”

Momoi starts wheezing as if she can’t breathe. Her lips are blue, and she’s covered in large, purple bruises that weren’t there a few days ago.

“Momoi, I’m calling the doctors,” Seijuurou says.

She can’t even try to stop him, she’s too ill. He presses a button beside her bed, a red one this time. Within a minute there’s doctors hurrying into the room.

“Everyone out, out,” one of them says.

“N-No,” Momoi manages to cough out.

“I’m staying,” Ryouta says firmly.

Seijuurou places a hand between Kuroko's shoulder blades. “Come on,” he says softly.

He takes Kuroko and Kouki out of the room as Momoi’s coughing starts to worsen again. He goes to shut the door, and Kuroko hears a high pitched rasping sort of noise for a few seconds, and then silence. Seijuurou’s hand grips his shoulder so tight it hurts. Then Ryouta starts screaming. Seijuurou instantly is back in Momoi’s room, holding Ryouta in his arms so he can’t throw himself on Momoi’s too still body.

“LET ME GO, _LET ME GO_ ,” he screams, but Seijuurou keeps holding him.

Kuroko hurries over to them and tries to calm Ryouta down, but he’s inconsolable right now. Eventually Ryouta just collapses to the floor, crying into his hands. Kuroko sits on the floor and holds onto him, trying to provide at least a small amount of comfort. Seijuurou is murmuring to the doctors. His face is remarkably blank, but Kuroko can see through it; his hands are shaking by his sides. The doctors leave, and Seijuurou’s shoulders sag slightly. He walks around to his wives and kneels down with them. Kouki is standing as stiff as a statue in the corner by the door, just staring at the bed. None of them say anything, and the room is silent save for Ryouta’s quiet sniffles.

“It’s not fair,” Ryouta finally speaks up after a few minutes pass. “Why did she have to-? It’s not fair.”

“I know,” Seijuurou says.

“Isn’t your dad meant to be working on a cure? Well where the hell is it?” Ryouta asks with a glare.

“I don’t know.”

Kuroko rubs Ryouta’s back, and he starts crying again. They sit quietly for a while, until Ryouta’s sobbing dies down. Kuroko pulls him up, and after Ryouta gives a last gentle touch to Momoi’s hand, they leave. The doctors are in the hallway, and they go back into the room. Seijuurou comes out after a minute.

“Tetsuya, take him back to your floor. I need to see my father,” he says. He sounds exhausted.

Kuroko nods. He wants to touch Seijuurou, he wants comforting too, but Ryouta needs him more, so Kuroko gently pulls his sister wife off to the elevator.

“I don’t want to go back to our floor,” Ryouta says.

“Where do you want to go?”

“ _Anywhere_.”

Kuroko studies him for a moment, then turns to the buttons. He presses one of them. When the doors open, Kuroko leads Ryouta out, and down the hall. They arrive at the kitchen.

“Tetsuya! And _Blondie_ ,” the head cook scoffs. “What’s the Princess doing here?”

Ryouta doesn’t have the energy to be nasty, as he just goes and sits down on one of the barstools silently.

“Momoi-san is gone,” Kuroko says blankly. He joins Ryouta on the stools.

The kitchen is disturbingly quiet for a minute.

“Oh,” the head cook mumbles.

“What’s the sugariest thing you have?” Ryouta asks. “I want to have a stomach ache from how sugary it is.”

“We have ice cream cake?” one of the cooks offers. “It’s pretty sugary.”

“That’ll do.”

The kitchen is bustling again, and soon two plates of ice cream cake are set before Kuroko and Ryouta.

“Fuck, this is so sweet I’m going to puke,” Ryouta says as he eats. “It’s great.”

Kuroko nods. “I’m glad.”

“Will you take care of my baby when I’m dead?”

Kuroko stares at his friend. “What?”

“Will you take care of my baby when I’m dead?” Ryouta repeats.

“I heard you. You know I’ll die a year after you.”

“Oh, yeah. Right. Never mind then.”

“Hopefully we’ll have a cure by then.”

Ryouta shrugs. “Maybe.”

Kuroko doesn’t feel like eating anymore. He pushes his plate away, mostly untouched. Ryouta starts crying again, so Kuroko rubs his back comfortingly.

“All this crying probably isn’t good for the baby,” he says after ten minutes pass and Ryouta is still sobbing.

“Oh stop, you sound like Seicchi,” Ryouta says, his voice wavering. He starts hiccupping.

“Sorry,” Kuroko says. He continues rubbing and patting Ryouta’s back until his sobs finally calm down. “Let’s go back to our floor, you need rest.”

“Fine,” Ryouta breathes. He’s probably too exhausted to argue anymore.

Kuroko takes him upstairs, and as they’re walking slowly down the hallway, Reo pops his head out of his door.

“What’s happening?” he asks sleepily.

“Oh, has no one told you?” Kuroko says.

“Told me what? That I slept in? I’m aware of that.” Reo stops and studies them closer. “What’s wrong?” he asks again, looking more concerned now.

“It’s Momoi-san,” Kuroko murmurs. “She's dead.”

Reo stares at him for a moment. “ _What? And_ _no one thought to wake me?_ ”

“Sorry,” Ryouta mumbles. “It’s been… hectic.”

Reo appears to be in shock. “Right. I guess I’ll call for Chi-chan.”

With that, he disappears into his room, shutting the door. Ryouta sighs, staring at the floor. Kuroko nudges him along down the hall again. He ushers Ryouta into his room and helps him into bed, climbing on beside him.

“I don’t want to die,” Ryouta whispers.

“I know, me neither. But things will be better before that happens,” Kuroko says.

“Says who? It’s already been fifty years, and there’s still no cure.”

Kuroko frowns. “There is one. Somewhere. We just haven’t found it yet.”

“Maybe.”

Kuroko decides not to argue, Ryouta won’t be swayed no matter what he says anyway. Kuroko crawls under the bedcovers, pressing against his sister wife. Ryouta wraps an arm around him and sighs into his hair. Kuroko feels something wet dripping onto his scalp, and he knows Ryouta is crying again. He reaches over and pats Ryouta on the back of the head, and then Ryouta starts sobbing. Kuroko rolls over and holds onto him, letting him cry his emotions out. He stops eventually, sniffling quietly instead.

“I almost hate Seicchi for getting me pregnant,” he says with a thick voice.

“Why?”

“Because I don’t want to abandon my baby. They don’t deserve to grow up without parents like I did.”

Kuroko pats his back again. “You’ve become very maternal lately.”

Ryouta laughs. “I guess I have. Instincts, I suppose.”

“It’s good. You’ve grown up a lot. You’re going to be a great parent,” Kuroko says.

“Thanks.” Ryouta sighs. “I just want to forget about everything right now.”

“I know,” Kuroko says. “Me too.”

“Tetsucchi, I know… I know Seicchi loves you more than me…”

“Ryouta-”

“No, it’s okay. I know I’m not like you. I’m pretty, but that’s all I have going for me.”

“That’s not true. You’re a ball of sunshine. You certainly cheer me up,” Kuroko says. He’s being honest. Ryouta’s chipper attitude can come off as somewhat annoying sometimes, but mostly, Kuroko is thankful for how happy he is all the time.

Ryouta smiles. “Thanks. That means a lot from you. Anyway, my point was, I just want you two to be happy.”

“I want you to be happy too,” Kuroko says, brushing Ryouta’s hair with his fingers.

“Mm, I know. I’m fine though. Don’t worry about me.”

“I’m always going to worry about you.”

“Hm, that’s nice to hear.” Ryouta yawns. “I’m so tired. I have a headache.”

“I’ll have some water brought up,” Kuroko offers, starting to sit up so he can press the kitchen intercom button.

Ryouta grabs him and pulls him close, stopping him from moving away. “It’s fine. Just stay here. That’s all I need.”

Kuroko nods and settles back down. He holds his arms around Ryouta, and when his sister wife is snoring lightly, he finally relaxes enough to fall into his own deep sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've told a couple of friends about my plans for this story, and I may have made them cry .-. welp.
> 
> I've plotted out a lot of the major events, and there's one thing I'm undecided on. A very, /very/ major thing that will definitely make you all cry. But I am undecided on it. We'll see. I may decide to be merciful in the end. 
> 
> Also, the stats on this story! I am floored. I've gotten over 100 subscriptions now (the most I ever had before was about 40). They're currently on 122. So hooooly crap thank you! The kudos is also over 300 which is amazing. And the bookmarks are over 50 (that's right, I see you with your private bookmarks. I see everything). I'm lowkey sad you guys are ashamed of my story XD But it's totally understandable. It's just that I'm really blatantly open about everything I like lmao. 
> 
> Anyway. I hope you all haven't suffered too much from this chapter. I apologise again. 
> 
> Oh, and it's October! (in the story I mean) So Kise, Midorima, Aomine, Kagami, and Reo's birthdays have already happened. Kise's actually happened before the two month party, but I never mentioned it because I forgot birthdays are a thing that happen. But I can put that down to people not celebrating birthdays in this universe. Everyone else's happened over the time skip. I think Kise is also due in Feb. Perhaps. I'm forgetting my own story. It's been a long time since I've looked at it, ok?


	23. {23}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello. It's me. 
> 
> This chapter contains more of the sisters. Yay! They're very cute. I MAY have stolen the name Suzuka from my real life friend. I hope she doesn't mind lol. Saki is taken from Nakajima Saki from C-ute. Because she was my fav when I was into them years ago. I lowkey ship the sisters btw lol. They're gonna be together when they're older. 
> 
> Warnings: talking about death - but no actual death happens, not so quickly after the last one (I'm evil but I'm not THAT evil), unbeta'd, generally shit writing

When Kuroko wakes up, there’s something warm pressed against both sides of him. He carefully lifts his head to see that he’s in Ryouta’s room still, the blonde snoozing next to him. He rolls over a little and sees Seijuurou on his other side, just starting to wake. He looks awful. His hair is messy, there’s bags under his eyes, and he’s still wearing his clothes from the day before. He sits up, stretching and then sighing.

“Morning,” he says.

“Morning,” Kuroko replies. “You don’t look too good.”

“I know. I don’t think any of us do. Sorry for coming in here when you two were spending time together.”

“It’s fine, I’m happy you’re here,” Kuroko says. He squeezes Seijuurou’s hand.

“I thought maybe I’d finally take you riding today. We’ve been so busy that I haven’t had a chance to take you.”

Kuroko nods, giving his husband a smile. “Sure. That sounds good.”

Seijuurou covers his face with his hands. “I feel like death.”

Kuroko pats his back gently. “I know. How are you holding up?”

“Not great. Momoi was a good friend…” He stares at his hands for a while. Kuroko doesn’t know what to say. “Anyway. I’m going to get up and make myself presentable. Do you want to join me?”

“I’ll stay here, I think. I want to be here when he wakes up,” Kuroko answers, glancing at his peaceful sister wife.

“Of course.” Seijuurou leans in and kisses Kuroko’s cheek. “I’ll leave you then. Make sure you have some water and something to eat. Ryouta as well.”

“I will,” Kuroko nods. He rubs Seijuurou’s arm gently, hopefully it’s comforting. “Don’t be alone for too long.”

Seijuurou smiles. “I’ll be fine. You two just look after each other. I’ll be back later.” He stands up and stretches again. “Oh, by the way. I had this made for you.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out some sort of card. It’s attached to a plain black cord, clearly meant to be worn around the neck.

“It’s- It’s an elevator pass card,” Kuroko says, staring at the item in his hands.

“Yes. You’ll have free run of the house now. It won’t take you everywhere, but most places of the property,” Seijuurou explains. “I figured it was about time.”

Kuroko smiles. “Thank you.”

Seijuurou kisses him again. “I’ll see you later then.”

With that, he leaves. Kuroko sets the pass card on the bedside table, then returns to snuggling up against Ryouta. His sister wife mumbles in his sleep, shifting a bit, but he doesn’t wake. Kuroko ponders whether he should have food brought up. The smell might wake Ryouta up and they can eat together, or he’ll stay sleeping and Kuroko will feel guilty for eating without him. He eventually decides to test out his new card, and sneaking out of bed, heads for the elevator. He presses the button to take him to the kitchen. The room is bustling as per usual, and the cooks greet Kuroko happily when he enters.

“Right, you got that swish new card,” the head chef says. “Does this mean you’ll be coming to visit us more often?”

“Maybe. I like it down here,” Kuroko says. “It’s busy.”

“Busy is good, means I’m getting paid.”

Kuroko sits on one of the barstools, just watching the staff go about their jobs. He’s just glancing around, when he notices a panel of buttons on the wall.

“What do all those do?” he asks.

“Ah. They’re the intercom buttons. They connect to all the private rooms in the house, as well as calling the domestics,” the head chef answers. “Those coloured ones at the bottom are the domestic buttons. Grey calls Mayuzumi, brown calls Furi, and pink calls Momoi.” The chef pauses. “Or it did…”

“Furi?” Kuroko asks, confused.

“Ah, you don’t know his full name? Furihata, that little scamp of yours.”

“Kouki? My domestic?”

“That’s the name.”

Kuroko had almost forgotten that his domestic did have a family name.

“Where is he?” he asks. “I haven’t seen him since yesterday.”

“You can call him if you want,” the chef offers.

Kuroko hops up, heading over to the button panel, and pressing the brown one. It makes a buzzing sound for a second, then it goes quiet.

“He’ll be on his way then,” the cook says. “Give him a sec.”

Kuroko returns to his stool and waits. Sure enough, within a few minutes Kouki appears.

“Tetsuya-san,” he says. He looks just as tired as Seijuurou did. “You’re in the kitchen?”

Kuroko holds up his pass card. “I was given this.”

Kouki’s eyes widen. “Oh, I didn’t know. Guess I’ve been really out of it. Never mind, I need to get back to reality.” He joins Kuroko on the stools. “How are you?”

“I’m okay,” Kuroko answers honestly. “I feel bad for saying it, but I didn’t know Momoi-san as well as you did. Ryouta’s taking it worse than I am.”

“Hmm. Maybe we’ll have a nice wake for her. I want to do something for her,” Kouki says.

“That would be nice,” Kuroko agrees.

“Anyway. Let’s talk about something else. I want to be distracted.”

“Okay. Like what?”

“I started working on something for you,” Kouki says. “I can show you in the sewing room if you like.”

Kuroko nods, and the pair leave the kitchen. They come into the sewing room, and Kuroko instantly sees a large amount of black fabric. He wonders when exactly Kouki started this new project.

“Here,” his domestic says, pulling out a dressed mannequin.

It’s different to what Kuroko was expecting. Rather than a dress, it’s a top with pants. The top looks form fitting, covered with a black lace overlay, and the sleeves transparent and made of lace as well. There's little pink flowers sewn around the neckline, clearly meant to refer to Momoi.

“I’ve liked making the dresses, but I thought I’d do something else for a change,” Kouki says. “I assumed you wouldn’t be opposed.”

“It’s lovely,” Kuroko says.

“Mm, thank you. Anyway, I thought I’d have something ready in case we do anything for her.”

“I thought we were meant to be changing the subject.”

Kouki smiles. “You’re right. If you don’t mind, I’d like to rest a little more.”

Kuroko nods. “Of course. I can go back upstairs by myself.”

“Thanks.”

Kouki pats his shoulder, then they leave together, Kouki going off to the domestic quarters, Kuroko heading back to the elevator. He goes upstairs, trudging back to his room, ready to fall into bed, only to find his room occupied already.

“Wifey!”

“Kazunari-san,” Kuroko says in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

Kazunari, as well as his domestic, his sister, and Midorima’s sister, are all in his room. The two girls are on the floor, surrounded by colouring books, pencils, and markers. They don’t even look up. Kazunari and his domestic, Shun, are on the bed together, Kazunari with a magazine of some sort, Shun appearing to be mending some clothes.

“Wanted some company. Plus, the girls really wanted to see you again,” Kazunari explains.

“Nii-chan!”

“It’s true though!” Kazunari says.

Suzuka huffs in annoyance and continues with her colouring. Kuroko steps inside and shuts the door.

“Well, it would be nice to have some company,” he says, walking over to his bed to join the others.

For a while they sit quietly. Kuroko picks up his current book and reads alongside Kazunari, Shun continuing to fix the clothes he has – presumably Kazunari’s, Kuroko isn’t surprised they have to be mended.

After a while the domestic speaks up. “It’s a bit mountain goat.”

Kuroko stares at him. _What_ did he just say? He voices his confusion, “It’s a bit what?”

Shun smiles sheepishly. “Right, you don’t know what that means.”

Kuroko glances to Kazunari, seeing that he’s completely uninterested, still flipping through his magazine as he lays sprawled out on the bed. Kuroko looks back to Shun. “Care to explain?”

“It comes from Chilean mountain goat. Chile, chilly. Mountain goat. It’s autumn. It’s cold.”

Kuroko stares at him blankly. “That is both the best and worst thing I’ve ever heard.”

Shun grins, his eyes sparkling. “I know, right!?”

Kazunari scoffs. “Where did you even get mountain goat to begin with? Is Chile _known_ for its mountain goats?”

Shun blinks. “Honestly, I have no idea. But mountain goat is fun to say, so who cares? Mountain goat,” he repeats to himself. He smiles in satisfaction.

Kuroko glances down to where Kazunari and Midorima’s sisters are sitting on the floor. Still surrounded by pencils and markers, both colouring in pages in their drawing books happily.

“Suzu, do you want this pink one?” Saki asks, holding out a pastel coloured marker.

“Sure.” Suzuka nods her head and takes it, the pair resuming to colour. Suzuka appears to be colouring in some cherry trees.

Kuroko notices Kazunari is watching him watch them.

“What?” he asks, a little defensive.

“You mentioned you sometimes teach,” Kazunari says. “So, you obviously like kids.”

“Yes, and?”

“You change your mind yet?”

“About?” Kuroko asks. His brows are slightly furrowed in annoyance. Can Kazunari just get to the point already?

“Having them.”

Kuroko closes his eyes. “I don’t know. That’s all I can tell you.”

Kazunari nods slowly, processing. “But you love Akashi, yeah?”

“What of it?”

“I’m not positive about this, but his dad is kinda… well.” Kazunari stops. “Well you’ve met him.”

“Yes, unfortunately,” Kuroko replies with a slight grimace.

“I’m just saying, he’s not going to be impressed that you’re not popping a baby with the amount of money he spent on you.”

“How much _did_ he spend exactly?” Kuroko asks. He’s actually _really_ curious now.

“I don’t know _exactly_ , but let’s just say a new house is probably cheaper.”

Kuroko stares. “That’s… a lot of money.” _A lot of money for someone who doesn’t even want to be here. Doesn’t – didn’t?_

“Yeah. Shin-chan mentioned Akashi’s dad was really pissed that none of you were pregnant yet. Good thing it happened to Blondie. Otherwise I dunno what would have happened to you wifeys.”

Kazunari returns to his magazine, occasionally chatting with his domestic. Kuroko feels sick. He can’t stand how casual they both are about the whole affair, so he slips off the bed and goes to sit on the floor.

“Hello,” he says softly. “May I join you?”

Suzuka smiles at him. “Sure, Tet-chan. You can colour the trunks for me,” she says, passing Kuroko a brown marker.

“Thank you, I’ll do my best,” Kuroko tells her. He leans down and starts to neatly colour in the tree.

“Nii-chan says you’re an omega,” Suzuka says after a while.

Kuroko blinks at her. “Um, yes.” An odd statement for a ten-year-old.

“And nii-chan is an omega.”

“That’s also true.”

“Do you think I’ll be an omega then?”

“Do you know what that means?”

“Not really,” Suzuka shrugs. “I just know it means who you’ll marry.”

“Do you want to get married?” Kuroko asks.

“Only if it’s to Saki.”

Kuroko sees Saki smile out of the corner of his eye.

“I’ll marry you too, dummy,” she murmurs.

“That means Saki has to be an alpha, right?” Suzuka continues. “Otherwise we can’t get married?”

“Not necessarily. It’s up to you who you’ll marry.” Kuroko pauses. “Sometimes,” he adds quietly.

“Shin-chan thinks Saki will be an alpha, so I guess she will. Shin-chan is always right.” Suzuka doesn’t even glance at Kuroko as she asks, “Akashi-sama is an alpha, right?”

“Yes…” Kuroko says. He looks up at Kazunari, unsure if he should be having this conversation, only to find the other bride deeply engrossed in his magazine. Even Shun doesn’t seem to care as he mends another one of Kazunari’s shirts.

“Do you like him?”

“Yes, very much,” Kuroko answers.

“That’s good. Well, if you didn’t like him, I guess you wouldn’t have married him.”

Kuroko sighs. Ignorance is really bliss. He reaches forward and pats Suzuka’s head.

“Right. I’m sure you and Saki-san will get married when you’re older, regardless of dynamic,” he says. “Your brothers would want you to be happy.”

Both Suzuka and Saki smile at him, and it makes Kuroko feel kind of weird. He feels parental, giving advice. A long time ago, he would have been considered almost a child, not quite yet an adult. Now, though…

He hopes the two girls get to be married someday. They deserve their happiness, since the rest of the world is so messed up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No one commented on the last chapter and it made me sad (ok Mari did and I love u). PLS COMMENT. I NEED THEM TO SURVIVE. 
> 
> Also, the mountain goat thing is a real thing my family and I say. I have no idea how it started, but I thought it was fitting for Izuki. Another weird word of ours that we say is spode (spider). My older cat is also called Little Koot (or Kooty) which comes from cat. Her name is literally Little Cat. We're a weird bunch.


	24. {24}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't rlly have much to say today? I have a cold and I feel gross and sore =^=
> 
> This chapter is kinda short. aprox 1800 words. 
> 
> Content warnings: pregnancy talk

Seijuurou is finally taking Kuroko riding. They’ve gone out to the field where the horses are, clasped hands swinging between them as they walk.

“I’ll put you on Yukimaru to practice,” Seijuurou says. “She’ll take care of you.”

Kuroko swallows and nods. His voice has abandoned him, nervous to finally be doing this. Seijuurou lets go of his hand and tells him to wait, then he approaches the white horse. Her ears twitch forward curiously, and she waits as Seijuurou goes up to her. She pushes her muzzle into his hand playfully and Seijuurou smiles. Kuroko feels a little more relaxed watching the exchange. Seijuurou halters the horse, then leads her over to Kuroko.

“Come on, we’ll take her to the stables and get her saddled up.”

When they reach the stables, Seijuurou fetches a brush to start grooming Yukimaru.

“You brush her before you ride her?” Kuroko asks.

“Yes, it just makes sure there’s no dirt where the saddle will go,” Seijuurou explains. “Do you want to have a try?”

Kuroko shakes his head quickly. “No. No, I’m fine where I am.”

Seijuurou smiles and keeps going with the brush. Eventually Yukimaru is saddled, and Seijuurou leads her over to a corral to ride. He helps Kuroko up onto her, then starts leading her around the ring.

“This is kind of scary,” Kuroko calls down to him. He pushes his helmet up, feeling nervous and unstable.

“Keep your back straight,” Seijuurou instructs. “You’ll be fine. Yukimaru is very gentle.”

She snorts in response, as if she can understand. Seijuurou pats her neck and they keep walking. After a while he lets go, and Yukimaru starts walking on her own.

“What are you doing!?” Kuroko asks, panicking slightly.

“Relax, Tetsuya. She can tell when you’re scared,” Seijuurou calls.

That only makes Kuroko panic more. Yukimaru remains calm though, making soft little snorts as if trying to calm him. Kuroko settles down a bit as she just walks slowly around the ring. He has no idea how to stop though.

“Sei-kun, how do I-?”

Again, as if she understands, Yukimaru stops. Kuroko stares at her in amazement. Seijuurou walks over with a smile.

“Horses are smart,” he says, giving Yukimaru another pat. “I’ll rescue you now,” he says with a grin.

“Please,” Kuroko says weakly.

Seijuurou helps him down, and Kuroko almost wants to fall to the ground and kiss the dirt. Large animals are not his specialty. Seijuurou takes Yukimaru back to the stables to unsaddle her and groom her again. Then he takes her back to the field with the other horses and lets her free.

“How was that? We can go for a longer ride together when you feel more confident,” Seijuurou says as they walk back to the house.

Kuroko swallows nervously. “Maybe…”

Seijuurou laughs softly. “I won’t force you.”

“Thank you,” Kuroko says. He realises he’s been squeezing Seijuurou’s hand, so he relaxes his hold a little.

“You did well,” his husband says, smiling.

“Well, I didn’t fall off, so that’s a plus.”

* * *

 

“Why do we have to go to the hospital for this?” Ryouta asks in that ever-inquisitive voice of his.

“Because we don’t have the equipment at home,” Seijuurou explains.

“Road trip!” Ryouta chirps happily.

Seijuurou smiles. “It’s not that far away. I don’t know if you could call a fifteen minute drive a road trip.”

“Well I haven't been on many road trips before, so I’m calling it a road trip,” Ryouta says.

“What other road trips have you been on?”

“Well… Just the one. Coming here…”

“Oh.”

They fall quiet for a while, Seijuurou still feels guilty for what happened, and Ryouta is probably feeling awkward. However, he starts chatting again soon enough, making the trip a little more bearable. At least Ryouta has perked up a little. He’s been down since Momoi’s death, but the announcement that he had an ultrasound at Seijuurou’s father’s hospital brightened his mood.

“ _An ultrasound!? I've never had an ultrasound before!_ ” he had squealed when Seijuurou told him.

They have a special place in the parking lot at the hospital, and when they arrive, the driver gets out to unfold a wheelchair from the boot.

“Do I really have to sit in this thing?” Ryouta asks with a frown. “I can walk just fine.”

“I want you to be comfortable,” Seijuurou says, offering an innocent smile. “Let me take care of you.”

Ryouta rolls his eyes and sits down in the chair. “Fiiine.”

He’s almost six months along now, and aside from a weird craving for any kind of food with capsicum, he’s been mostly the same as when he arrived. Which means, he’s been incredibly bossy and demanding still. Seijuurou wheels him up to the hospital, taking him past the information desk. There’s a couple of guys there having a hushed discussion with the clerk, and Ryouta stares at them as they pass.

“What is it?” Seijuurou asks.

“Nothing, nothing. They just look like… some people I used to know,” Ryouta says.

“From your orphanage?”

“Y-Yeah. It’s not them though. Never mind, keep going.”

Strange, but Seijuurou ignores it, continuing down the hall. His father greets them at the omega clinic in the hospital, leading them into a dark room. Ryouta squirms uncomfortably in the wheelchair. Seijuurou knows he doesn’t like his father. Which is understandable. Seijuurou isn’t that fond of him either.

“Now, little one, I need you to sit on this bed here and pull up your shirt so we can see your stomach,” Masaomi says.

Seijuurou always thought he was terrible at trying to be gentle, but at least he’s trying. Ryouta nods and gets up, moving to the bed. He pulls up his shirt, showing off his swollen belly. Masaomi pats it gently.

“Soon enough you’ll be ready to give birth,” he says.

Ryouta nods. “It sounds painful though.”

“Yes, I’ve heard it is. Don’t think about it, you’ll be fine. Now I have to put this gel on your stomach. Don’t worry though, it’s not cold.”

“I thought it was cold? That’s what I’ve heard the older omegas at my orphanage say.”

Masaomi chuckles. “Yes, it used to be like that, but these new machines have gel warmers built in. It’s a nice upgrade.”

He squirts the gel onto Ryouta’s stomach and rubs it over with the little scanner. He turns the machine on and starts scanning.

“There we go, look at that,” Masaomi says.

Ryouta turns his head to look at the screen, seeing the black and white image of his baby there.

“Are you sure it’s not an alien?” he asks.

Seijuurou smiles. “It’s definitely not an alien, that’s what it’s supposed to look like.”

“I don’t believe you.”

Masaomi chuckles again. “Now, now. It’ll look normal when it comes out. Do you want to know its gender?”

Ryouta purses his lips. He looks at Seijuurou. “Should we know? I kinda want it to be a surprise.”

“Then we'll keep it a surprise,” Seijuurou says.

“Well, it looks healthy, so don’t worry about anything. Just a necessary check-up,” Masaomi says, taking away the scanner. He passes Ryouta a towel to clean up the gel. “Now, I must get going, lots of things to attend to. You can see yourselves out, yes?”

“Of course, father, thank you,” Seijuurou nods.

“I’ll talk to you later then. Bye now, pet,” Masaomi says to Ryouta before leaving.

“He’s not so bad… I guess,” the blonde says as he sits up and fixes his shirt.

“He tries. Sort of. Sometimes. I think he’s just excited about getting a grandchild,” Seijuurou says.

“Hm. Anyway, are we going home now? Can we get food on the way!?”

Seijuurou smiles warmly. “Sure, whatever you want.”

“Yay!”

Ryouta gets back in the wheelchair and Seijuurou pushes him out. He’s quiet as Ryouta talks to himself about what food he wants. He doesn’t really feel like a father. Not yet. It’s weird. He’d rather stay a kid forever, but that’s not how things are. In four months, he’s going to have a baby. Everything is changing, and Seijuurou’s not sure if he likes it.

* * *

 

Kuroko is in the kitchen again. He’s with Kouki, the pair sitting on the bar stools as they chat and eat from a platter of fruit. Kuroko is nibbling on a grape when there’s a loud crack of thunder, and Kouki jumps.

“Sorry, that frightened me,” he says. “I’m not good with loud noises.”

Kuroko isn’t really either, not since the bomb that killed his parents. It was so loud, he’d heard it from his house. He tries not to think about that.

“It’s been storming a lot lately,” he says.

“Typhoon season. Though it’s not usually this late in the year that we get one like this,” Kouki replies. He’s shivering a little. “Can we go back to your room? I’m not fond of being by the door in this weather.”

“Of course,” Kuroko nods.

They get up and head for the elevator, and Kouki seems to have relaxed a little now they’re away from the wind banging on the kitchen door. They step inside and Kuroko presses the button for the wives floor, but then there’s a red light going off in the elevator, and there’s a ringing sound. Then the doors slide open, and it’s dark.

“Where are we?” Kuroko asks nervously.

“Th-The basement, I think. Sometimes the elevators lock down during a storm and go here on autopilot. There’s a bunker down here for waiting out the really heavy ones, so… But only Housemaster Masaomi-sama can authorize people coming down here.” Kouki is shaking. “We shouldn’t be here.”

Kuroko shivers. It’s cold down here, and dark. Almost pitch black. Only dull, yellow lights illuminate the walls in this endless corridor.

“What do we do?” he asks.

“We shouldn’t wait in the elevator,” Kouki says. “It’ll start back up eventually. Let’s move for now.”

Kuroko nods. He swallows, and then starts walking. “This place is really creepy…” he murmurs.

“I know. I’ve never been down here, I don’t like it.”

“What about the storm shelter? Haven’t you been down here for that?”

Kouki shakes his head. “I wasn’t a domestic before you, just a servant. Until you came along, I was expendable. I still am expendable.”

Kuroko frowns. “Don’t think like that.”

“But it’s true, if something happened to me, Housemaster Masaomi-sama would just buy a new orphan to work for you.” Kuroko is about to respond when Kouki shushes him. “Someone’s coming.”

Kuroko panics, and he really wants to get out of here now. He grabs Kouki and tugs him into a room to the side of the hall. He hears a rattling noise, like a cart being pushed. Then, in the darkness, he sees two people wearing biohazard suits walking past, pushing along a hospital cart. There’s something on it, with a sheet over the top. A body. Kouki gasps when a bruised hand falls down from it. Kuroko sees it. Nails. Painted peach pink. It’s Momoi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had an ultrasound yesterday and I needed to do something with the useless knowledge.
> 
> I hope I didn't startle you with the end of this chapter. *smiling* everything's fine. really. everything's really fine. this is a happy story of course.
> 
> In other news, this story is finally over 50 thousand words! Huzzah! Only 10 thousand more and it'll be the same length as the longest story I've ever written (ye old VIXX fandom fanfiction - don't ask for the link, it's terrible and I abandoned the story anyway).


	25. { 25 }

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello. It me. 
> 
> I took a minor break from this story as I wanted to read more of the original series to reacquaint myself a little. Though that didn't end up going too well as Fever, the second book, is really fucking disturbing and I was honestly quite grossed out when rereading it. :/
> 
> This chapter starts angsty and ends cute. Not really any content warnings for this one.

Kuroko practically slaps his hand across Kouki’s mouth when he gasps. The men in the hazard suits don’t notice them though, they just keep walking. They’re talking to each other.

“Such a shame about this one,” a man says.

“Indeed, to destroy such a beauty is a real pity,” the other replies.

Kuroko is frozen, not even breathing. He can feel Kouki breathing against his hand, taking little shuddering breaths in fear.

“If it will save lives, it’s worth it in the end,” the first man says, his voice fading as they walk down the hall.

Kuroko keeps holding onto his domestic until the sounds of the cart wheels have disappeared. He releases Kouki, the other teenager falling to the floor and gasping for air.

“Where are they taking her?” Kuroko asks.

“H-Housemaster Masaomi-sama must be planning to study her body. He’s looking for an antidote for the sickness, so… he needs bodies to study…”

Kuroko feels sick. “Seijuurou would never allow this. Momoi-san was his friend.”

“Don’t tell him,” Kouki says, grabbing onto Kuroko’s wrists.

“Why not?”

“It will just cause problems. And if you tell him, he’ll tell his father, and then he’ll know we were down here.” Kouki shudders. “I don’t want to think about what he’d do if he knew we were here.”

Kuroko stares at him. He has a point… Kuroko is terrified of Seijuurou’s father, and he doesn’t weant to imagine the consequences of being caught where they don’t belong. But… _Momoi_.

“Come on,” Kouki says, tugging Kuroko’s wrist, “we need to leave.”

He drags Kuroko down the hall and back to the elevator. His keycard takes them back to the wives’ floor. They walk silently back to Kuroko’s room.

“Do you want a bath? Or something?” Kouki asks when safely inside. He seems antsy to distract himself.

“Sure,” Kuroko nods. He needs to relax after that blood-freezing experience.

He follows his domestic into the bathroom, stripping off while Kouki runs the water. He realises he’s shaking a little, and he notices Kouki’s hands tremoring as well as he goes about fetching bath salts and hair products.

“I hate this,” Kuroko murmurs as he slides into the scalding water.

Kouki stares at him uneasily, biting his lip. Kuroko doesn’t speak any further and just sinks below the waterline.

* * *

 “We’re going out,” Seijuurou announces as he comes into the room.

“What? Where?” Kuroko asks, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. He’d been having a nap when his husband came in, dressed in clothes fit for riding a horse. Kuroko eyes him warily.

“Don’t get too excited, we’re not leaving the property,” Seijuurou says. “I’m taking you riding again. Properly, now that you’ve had a bit of a lesson.”

Kuroko’s expression immediately sours. “No, thank you.”

“Come on, it’ll be fun!” Seijuurou grins, leaping onto Kuroko’s bed and pouncing on him.

Kuroko smiles and pushes his husband off him. “I doubt that very much.”

“We’ll go on the same horse, so you can hold onto me,” Seijuurou says.

Kuroko eyes him sceptically. “I don’t like the sound of this.”

“Please? For me?” Seijuurou bats his dark crimson eyelashes at Kuroko.

“Ugh, fine. I’ll do it for _you_.”

Seijuurou grins and kisses him sweetly. “You’ll have fun, I promise. I even have a new outfit for you.”

“Did you sew this one?” Kuroko asks sarcastically.

“If only I was so talented. No, this one was bought.”

Seijuurou fetches the clothing bag he had hung on the back of the door and brings it over to the bed. He unzips it, revealing what appears to be more riding clothes. Breeches with contrasting fabric on the inner legs, as well as a padded jacket and gloves.

“Well, at least it’s not a dress,” Kuroko says. Not that he minds the dresses by this point. But that’s not the point.

“Yes, you really don’t want to be wearing a dress while riding,” Seijuurou responds with a smile.

“Then let me get dressed,” Kuroko says, sighing.

He gets up from the bed, dressed only in a pair of sleeping shorts -delicately printed with floral arrangements- and a thin, pastel blue dressing gown. He takes off the pyjamas, glaring at Seijuurou when he watches with a pleased smile.

“You’re a pervert,” Kuroko says as he pulls on the riding pants.

“You’re cute,” Seijuurou replies as his excuse.

Kuroko puts on the riding clothes, giving a spin for his husband. “How do I look?”

“Adorable.”

“I don’t want to be called adorable,” Kuroko pouts.

“But you are adorable. You must get used to it,” Seijuurou says, smiling.

He slides an arm around Kuroko’s waist and takes him out of the room to the elevator. Downstairs, a servant Kuroko doesn’t recognise is holding a pair of riding boots for him. Seijuurou helps him into them, then takes him outside towards the stables. Yukimaru is standing in the corral at a trough filled with hay. She nickers when they approach her.

“I’ll get her saddled up and then we can go,” Seijuurou says.

“Okay,” Kuroko mumbles unsurely.

He sits on a bench and watches as his husband grooms and dresses the horse. Seijuurou is so sweet with Yukimaru, smiling and talking to her softly. When she’s saddled up, he leads her over to Kuroko.

“Ready to go?” he asks, grinning excitedly.

Kuroko narrows his eyes and grimaces. “Yes,” he says, though it’s not quite the truth.

Seijuurou laughs, then mounts up. He pulls Kuroko up behind him, Kuroko settling against his body, clinging on in mild terror.

“We’ll go slowly,” Seijuurou promises. Then he nudges Yukimaru forward.

Kuroko wraps his arms around his husband’s waist tighter, pressing his cheek to Seijuurou’s back. He has a small head, and the helmet he wears feels too big for him, even though Seijuurou adjusted the tightness. He’s bouncing slightly in the seat, and he feels like he’s going to fall off.

“Relax,” Seijuurou says. “You’re doing fine. You’re not going to fall.”

“Easy for you to say,” Kuroko grumbles.

Yukimaru whinnies, almost as if she’s laughing at him. Kuroko decides he hates horses.

Seijuurou takes him all over the large property, and Kuroko is amazed at how big it actually is. It appears to go for miles, stretching over hills and past several creeks and ponds. Eventually they return to the stables, which Kuroko is very thankful for. His legs are sore and aching, and he slides off the horse and doubles over in pain.

“Are you all right?” Seijuurou asks as he dismounts.

“ _No_ ,” Kuroko croaks.

“Do you want me to carry you inside?”

“Yes please.”

Seijuurou laughs. “Okay, let me just get Yukimaru ready first.”

He takes off her equipment and grooms her again, then takes her back to one of the stable stalls. Kuroko is lying on the bench he sat on earlier, wincing at the pain between his thighs. Seijuurou scoops him up into a princess carry and takes him back to the mansion.

“Okay, let’s see the damage,” he says when he sets Kuroko on his bed.

Seijuurou undresses him, Kuroko cringing when the fabric peels off his legs. He looks down and sees that the skin is red and raw.

“Owww,” he complains.

Seijuurou smiles. “Sorry, that can happen. How do you feel?”

“Like a large animal has rubbed all my skin off,” Kuroko says.

“I see,” Seijuurou says with a small chuckle. “Well, I’ll get some healing cream for you then.”

He presses the kitchen intercom button and asks for Kouki to bring up some cream, then he goes to Kuroko’s wardrobe to find him a change of clothes. Meanwhile Kuroko lays back on his bed and silently curses his stupid, beautiful husband for making him do this.

“You summoned me?” Kouki’s voice asks.

Kuroko sits up to see his domestic coming in with an amused smile. He’s holding a first-aid kit.

“I’m never going riding again,” Kuroko declares.

Kouki laughs. “Sit still, let me tend to you.”

Seijuurou comes back out with fresh pyjamas, and leaves them on the end of the bed for when Kuroko and his domestic are finished, sitting down and waiting for them.

“Do you want dinner then?” Kouki asks when Kuroko’s legs are feeling a little better.

“That would be nice,” Seijuurou nods. “Thank you.”

Kouki flashes the pair a smile and then leaves.

“I’m sorry for injuring you,” Seijuurou says.

“It’s fine.”

“I won’t make you go riding again if you don’t want,” he mumbles into Kuroko’s neck.

Kuroko can _hear_ the puppy eyes as Seijuurou starts kissing along his neck. “Well, maybe not for a while at least. But maybe we can go again eventually,” he says.

Seijuurou makes a pleased hum, then moves up to kiss Kuroko’s mouth. “I love yoouu,” he says in a childish tone.

Kuroko rolls his eyes. “I love you too, Sei,” he replies, kissing his husband’s lips chastely. “Now please get off me. I don’t want Kouki to walk in on you sucking my face off.”

Seijuurou snorts and pulls away. “I wouldn’t mind, but okay,” he mutters to himself.

Kuroko also snorts a breath of air and ignores him.

* * *

 “Tetsuya. Tetsuya, wake up.”

“Mmn, go away,” Kuroko mumbles.

“But I have a present for you.”

Kuroko cracks an eye open to see Seijuurou at the foot of his bed, a bright smile on his face. Kuroko sits up, yawning and stretching, then freezes when he hears a soft ‘arf’. He blinks his eyes open and sees that Seijuurou is holding a small dog.

“Why do you have a dog?”

“Isn’t he cute!? He’s for you!” Seijuurou announces. He puts the puppy on the bed, and it runs up to Kuroko and starts licking his chin.

“Why- Why did you get me a dog?” Kuroko asks, astonished. He pets the puppy’s soft black fur. It’s cute.

“Well, I felt guilty for hurting you when we went riding the other day,” Seijuurou says. He looks down. “And also as a bit of a ‘sorry I got another person pregnant’ present.”

Kuroko scoffs. “I see. Well, thanks, I suppose?” He looks down at the puppy’s bright blue eyes. They look… familiar somehow.

“Noticed it now, did you?” Seijuurou asks with a grin. “He looks just like you.”

“He- He does a little bit. The eyes,” Kuroko agrees.

“I thought we could call him after you,” Seijuurou suggests. “Tetsuya Nigou.”

Kuroko smiles as the puppy barks and wags his tail vigorously. “I have a little twin,” he says. “Thank you, he’s cute.”

Seijuurou beams at him, then joins him on the bed. Nigou jumps around between them, barking and wagging his tail excitedly. He leaps onto Kuroko’s lap and starts licking him again.

“It’ll be almost like he’s our child,” Seijuurou says.

“Let’s not go that far,” Kuroko replies quickly. “He’s a dog, not a baby.”

“Probably for the best,” Seijuurou nods. “Dogs are cuter than humans when they poop on the carpet anyway.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise more exciting stuff is coming. This story has a lot of filler actually. But more interesting stuff is going to happen soon. Maybe. I need to plan out what I'm going to do a little more. But I have some big ideas. CRAZY ideas, even. 
> 
> But yay Nigou is in it! Puppies make the world a better place. (❍ᴥ❍ʋ)


	26. { 26 }

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sO it's been like almost a month since I updated last. Wow. Sorry about that. And the last chapter wasn't even interesting too. 
> 
> I've had a lot of issues. Firstly my laptop DIED (AGAIN - 2nd time this year) and so I've been using Google Docs and writing on my phone (and I h8 it). I have it back now, but yeah it was real annoying for a while there. 
> 
> Oh, I made some Flickr albums of inspiration for the story. You can find them [here](https://www.flickr.com/photos/113626506@N06/albums).
> 
> Content warnings: more mpreg talk idek why i do this, ANGSSSSTTTT

Kuroko is sitting with his sister wives as well as their husband. Ryouta is beside him, snuggling on his shoulder. Seijuurou is on his other side, and Reo is lying along the end of the bed. Nigou sits in Kuroko’s lap, napping. Ryouta insisted on having a ‘family night’, so the young group decided to retire to the blonde’s room after dinner. Seijuurou had a TV brought in, and they’ve been watching it on and off as they chat.

“You know, humans used to grow body hair,” Seijuurou says. “On their legs and under their arms, among other places.”

“Really?” Ryouta asks. “Icky.”

Seijuurou smiles. “Some thought that way. They used to shave the hair off, or rip it out with hot wax and strips of cloth.”

Ryouta and Reo are immediately offended. “That sounds painful,” Reo says, grimacing as he stretches out languidly.

“I’m sure it was. That was one of the first things to go with the first generation,” Seijuurou explains.

“Well, I’m glad we don’t have to worry about that,” Ryouta says. “I like having smooth legs.”

Nigou tries to roll onto his back and falls off Kuroko’s thighs, bumping into Ryouta’s stomach. He rights himself and puts his paws up on Ryouta’s swollen belly.

“Are you excited about the baby?” Ryouta asks, giving him an affectionate head pat. Nigou barks in response. “I guess that’s a yes.”

“He’s smart,” Kuroko comments proudly.

Ryouta’s face twists into a slight frown. “Seicchi, can you get me something to snack on? The baby is hungry.”

“Do you want me to call the kitchen?”

“No, can you go get it yourself? I don’t trust anyone else to handle my food.”

Seijuurou laughs softly. “Sure thing. I’ll be back in a minute then.” He strokes over Kuroko’s hand, then gets up and leaves.

“What was that about?” Reo asks. He’s as in tune to things as ever. He knows something is up.

“I- um, I have something to say,” Ryouta says quietly. “I don’t know if I should…”

Reo sits up, intrigued. “You have a secret? Spill.”

Ryouta glances around the room nervously. “Well, at the hospital earlier… Tetsucchi, I think I saw your old friends.”

Kuroko stares at him, too shocked to speak for a moment. “W-What? What makes you think that?”

“I recognised them from your descriptions,” Ryouta says. “Tall. Really, _really_ tall. Aomine has dark skin and short navy hair, Kagami has tan skin and red and black hair. And his funny eyebrows. They were arguing with the staff at the information desk. It _had_ to be them!”

Kuroko stares down at his lap. He doesn’t know what to say. Are they looking for him? Still? It’s been eight months, and apparently, they haven’t given up on him. “Wh-What do I do?” he asks. “I want to see them. I need to see them. They’re here looking for me, I need to see them.”

“Tet-chan, that’s almost impossible,” Reo says. “Even if by some miracle you left the mansion on your own, how would you track them down?”

“I know their mobile numbers,” Kuroko answers. “I could call them and meet up with them.”

Reo gives him a sceptical look. “Still, you’d need to somehow get away from Sei-chan and any guards he has.”

“Why wouldn’t he let me see them” Kuroko asks, slightly defensively. “He loves me, why wouldn’t he want me to get closure on this?”

Reo sighs. “I don’t know, Tet-chan. Sei-chan is very possessive of you. Almost to the point of obsession.”

“We’re in love…” Kuroko murmurs.

“Maybe so. But still, I doubt even he will approve of this.”

Kuroko glares out the window. “I’m not giving up on my friends.”

“Good,” Ryouta says, patting his shoulder. “Don’t. You’ll see them again, I’m sure of it.”

Kuroko keeps staring out the window, ignoring his sister wife. He doesn’t want to talk anymore. He’s upset and angry. Talking would take up too much energy.

He’s silent when Seijuurou returns with a platter of biscuits and slices. His husband sits on the bed and feeds Ryouta, the blonde giggling happily. Seijuurou seems to notice Kuroko’s miserable mood after a while, how he seems quieter than usual.

“Tetsuya, is something wrong?” he asks, brushing a piece of Kuroko’s hair out of his eyes.

“It’s nothing,” Kuroko insists. “Just feeling a little sick.”

“Do you want to lie down in your room?” Seijuurou presses his hand to Kuroko’s forehead. “You don’t have a fever, that’s good.”

“I- I might lie down for a while,” Kuroko nods. He stands up and leaves the stifling silence of the other wives.

Seijuurou follows him after a minute. He comes into Kuroko’s room and shuts the door behind him, crossing to the bed with an expression of concern. “What’s wrong?” he asks.

Kuroko doesn’t know what to say. Maybe Reo is right… maybe Seijuurou _wouldn’t_ let him see his friends.

“Nothing,” he says. “Maybe I ate something that doesn’t sit right with me.”

Seijuurou frowns. “You need to rest then. Do you want me to sit with you?”

“No, it’s okay. Go back to the others,” Kuroko says. “I’m just going to sleep I think.”

Seijuurou seems unsure. He leans over and kisses Kuroko’s cheek, then says, “Okay. I’ll be next door if you need me.”

Kuroko watches him go, then slides down under his bedcovers with a sigh. He feels awful. He’s not only hiding _this_ from Seijuurou now, but also the terrifying sight of Momoi in the basement.

There’s far too many secrets here…

* * *

 

He’s not going to just sit around and do nothing. Kuroko wants to find his friends. He’s going to tell Seijuurou at _some_ point, but… not right now. He doesn’t want to be stopped from doing what he needs.

“Did you feel that?” he asks.

“A little,” Ryouta says. “But you’re getting better!”

Kuroko nods, feeling determined. He’s currently teaching himself to pickpocket, using Ryouta as his guinea pig. His blonde sister wife had immediately agreed to help when finding out what Kuroko’s plans were. The plans being find a phone somehow and call his friends. His target is Kouki, who carries a smartphone in one of his many pockets at all times. Kuroko is hoping to nab it from his person while he’s distracted. It’s a dangerous plan, and Kuroko isn’t sure how he’ll get the phone back to Kouki without him realising Kuroko had stolen it. But he has to try.

His natural invisible nature comes in handy here. Kuroko told Ryouta to busy himself while he tried to slip his fingers into Ryouta’s pockets. He’s just about to make another attempt when a voice startles him.

“What are you doing?”

“Sei,” he says, straightening up.

“Are you bothering Ryouta?” Seijuurou asks with a chuckle as he enters the room.

“We’re just playing,” Ryouta says, smiling innocently. Kuroko is actually surprised at how well he lies. “Why are you gracing us with your presence?”

Seijuurou frowns. “Bad news, I’m afraid.”

“What?” Kuroko and Ryouta say at the same time.

“My father wants to have dinner. With all of us.”

“Reo-nee too?” Ryouta asks.

“Yes. I’m not sure what his plans are. Hopefully he just wants to spend time with us,” Seijuurou says.

“What else could he want?” Ryouta questions.

Seijuurou has a very bleak look as he says, “Grandchildren, probably.”

“Oh…” Ryouta mumbles. “Well, it’s probably nothing. He’s been happy with just me, hasn’t he?”

Seijuurou smiles and nods. “Yes. He’s been happy with you. So let’s hope he just wants company tonight.” He looks at Kuroko. “I was also wondering if you wanted to come spend some time with me.”

Kuroko glances at his sister wife. Ryouta is smiling at him. “Go have fun,” he says.

Kuroko hugs him around his shoulders, and he hums happily.

“Call for me if you need me,” Kuroko murmurs. He then straightens up and follows Seijuurou out of the room. “So what are we doing?” he asks as they walk.

“I thought we could spend some time in my room. Just talking and being near each other,” Seijuurou explains with a small smile.

“Romantic,” Kuroko says.

“That’s the idea.”

Seijuurou slides an arm around his waist, his hand resting on Kuroko’s hip comfortably as he leads them to the elevator. They reach his floor, and Kuroko tries not to wince as he smells the lingering medicine on the air. It’s been a month since Momoi died, but the smell of decay and the medicine to treat it is still floating through the halls. Kuroko still hears Ryouta sobbing into his pillows every night. He puts on a brave face during the day, but Kuroko knows he's still hurting. Kuroko himself has been a little more down as well. Not just from listening to his sister wife crying into the night, but also being around more death. He had initially lived thinking he wouldn't have to worry about death for years. Not until Aomine and Kagami turned 25. He tried not to think of their deaths, but at least he didn't know anyone else who would perish soon. Coming to this mansion has only increased the number of people he has to worry about. He’s especially concerned about his husband. In five years he'll be gone. And Kuroko will be alone. Tears gather in his eyes and he forces the thoughts from his head. He squeezes Seijuurou’s hand. Seijuurou squeezes back, giving him an affectionate smile. Kuroko smiles back. He won't think about it.

* * *

 

Kuroko and his husband remain together for a few hours, alternating between staring into each other's eyes lovingly and actually being somewhat productive (Kuroko reading and Seijuurou working at his desk). Eventually it's almost 6pm- time to collect the other wives for dinner. Kuroko returns to his floor, escorted by Seijuurou, to get dressed. Kouki is already waiting for him with clothes laid out, though there's no dress and heels this time. The outfit is still pretty however; a white jumper with pearls knitted through it, as well as slim black pants.

“Am I a boy today?” Kuroko jokingly asks.

Kouki rolls his eyes. “You're always a boy. You're just also always an omega.”

Kuroko snorts a breath of air and begins to get ready.

Ryouta refuses to get fancied up. He goes to dinner wearing track pants and a stained shirt. Reo, on the other hand, is dressed to the nines in tight-fitting black pants and a crimson jumper that slips off his slender shoulders. Kuroko is a little taken aback by his beauty. He looks mature where Kuroko looks innocent.

Seijuurou meets them at the elevator, now dressed in a suit himself. “You all look lovely,” he says with a smile.

“That's sweet, Seicchi, but I don't look lovely at all,” Ryouta says. He pouts. “I’m fat and my back hurts.”

Kuroko pats his arm and Seijuurou chuckles, then they go into the elevator.

Kuroko is nervous. Seijuurou’s father seems decent enough most of the time, but there's just something about him that seems off. The way he smiles maybe. Kuroko is concerned for what tonight's dinner holds. He feels a tightness in his chest, and an overwhelming desire to run. He already knows how tonight is going to go, he's just hoping it's not as bad as he fears it will be.

Masaomi is already in the dining room when they enter, waiting for them. He smiles at the group, but it doesn't seem friendly.

“Sit down,” he says.

Kuroko is the First Wife, so he sits beside Seijuurou at the table. Ryouta and Reo sit opposite them, with Ryouta closest to Masaomi. His little pet. Kuroko doesn't envy the attention he's been given over the past six months.

“How are you feeling?” Masaomi asks him.

Ryouta smiles charmingly. “Okay. The baby’s been kicking a bit.”

“That's good. A rambunctious little thing,” Masaomi replies.

“It's only good when I’m not sleeping,” Ryouta says.

“True enough.”

The others remain quiet. Both Reo and Kuroko aren't fond of Masaomi, and therefore have no desire to strike up a conversation with him. Seijuurou remains silent as well. He likely doesn't want to start anything uncomfortable, even though they all know it's inevitable.

“So, Tetsuya-” Kuroko freezes- “you seem to have settled in well. When shall we be expecting from you?”

“Father,” Seijuurou says, putting down his cutlery with more force than is probably necessary.

“I’m merely asking my son-in-law a question.”

“It's none of your business,” Seijuurou curtly says.

“On the contrary, it _is_ my business, as I’m the one who paid for these lovely brides of yours.” Masaomi looks back to Kuroko. “So?”

“We’re… trying…” Kuroko forces out.

“Try harder.”

“Father, we can't exactly try harder,” Seijuurou says, slightly exasperated.

“Yes, you can. He's not pregnant, so obviously there's room for improvement,” Masaomi replies. “Increase the frequency of your intimacy. Positioning is also important with male omegas.”

Kuroko wants to throw up again. Ryouta and Reo also look incredibly uncomfortable.

“Father, really. That's none of your business, and I'd appreciate if you didn't speak to my partner about this.”

Masaomi sighs. “Fine. But do remember-” he looks at Kuroko- “I paid a hefty sum for you, don't make me regret that.”

Kuroko stares at him, into his gold eyes that are so unlike Seijuurou’s. There's none of his kindness. “Yes,” is all he can say.

“Tetsuya, stop,” Seijuurou murmurs, touching his arm. He gives his father a glare, but Masaomi isn't watching anymore, instead talking to a servant and telling them to bring out dinner.

The rest of the evening is relatively quiet. Occasionally Masaomi chats to Ryouta about the food, asking if he and the baby are enjoying it, but otherwise it's silent. When everyone is finished with dessert, Masaomi excuses himself, telling the younger generation thank you for dinner, but he needs to return to work now.

“Does he ever stop working?” Reo asks when he's gone.

“I don't think so,” Seijuurou answers tiredly. “He barely stopped working when even my mother died.”

They go upstairs, and as Kuroko is about to step out of the elevator to follow his sister wives, Seijuurou stops him.

“Stay with me tonight,” he says, rubbing Kuroko’s arm.

“Did dinner spoil your evening?”

“A bit. But any evening with you can't be spoiled.”

Seijuurou smiles and bats his eyelashes, and Kuroko can't resist (not that he wants to). “Of course,” he says, smiling back. “Let's just go to your floor then. I want to go to bed. I’ll borrow clothes of yours again.”

“Do you enjoy wearing my things?” Seijuurou asks as he presses the elevator button for his floor.

“I suppose so,” Kuroko vaguely says, not wanting to inflate his husband’s ego too much. He’s cocky enough as it is. Seijuurou pushes his weight onto Kuroko, pressing his face into Kuroko’s neck. “You’re heavy,” Kuroko comments, trying to push him off only half-heartedly.

Seijuurou stands back on his own feet and smiles. “I love you, you know. I’m sorry you had to go through that tonight.”

Kuroko waves his hand. “It’s fine. I was expecting it.”

“That doesn’t make it okay.”

“No, I suppose not...”

He sighs, and this time he’s leaning _his_ weight on Seijuurou. He feels scared. A little like he did when he first walked into that science centre eight months ago. Scared for his future. Seijuurou will do his best to protect Kuroko from his father, but who knows what will happen?

The elevator dings and the doors open. Seijuurou puts his arm around Kuroko’s waist and leads him out.

“What are you thinking about?” he asks softly.

Kuroko breathes deeply. “I don’t know. What we’re going to do.”

“About my father?”

“Yes, I guess so,” Kuroko nods. “Everything’s just very… unknown, right now. I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Seijuurou frowns. “Well, I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Kuroko smiles. “I feel better knowing you’re taking care of me.”

Seijuurou leans in and kisses his cheek. “I love you,” he says.

“I love you too.” Kuroko sighs, falling onto his husband’s bed. “Now, let’s sleep. I’m exhausted.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we're actually starting to get towards the end of the story. Don't worry, there's still going to be plenty more, but it is starting to head towards the end. And it gets real crazy soon. I wonder if any of you can guess what I'm planning. I so badly want to just give you a teeny little HINT but I shall refrain. I want it to be a complete surprise when it happens. 
> 
> I finished Fever (2nd book). It was so...... ///ANNOYING///. *SCREAMS* I found myself enjoying the book more than I did when I first read it, but the ending was so. (｀Д´) (#｀皿´) ( ╬◣ 益◢) Those faces sum up my feelings on the ending. Oh god reading Sever is going to kill me. I remember the ending of that book also being highly dissatisfying. I've actually been resisting starting Sever because I don't know how I'm going to feel reading it. Mostly I'm just rereading it so I can finish my fic, since I can't remember most of the third book (and I need to know what they do to finish this story). I'm pretty sure I'm not even going to enjoy reading it. Rrrggghhh I'll shut up now. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. Try to guess what I'm planning. It'll be entertaining lol.


	27. { 27 }

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phone home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The big day has arrived. Well, one of them. There's a few. This chapter is real angsty. And kinda short. Hope you don't mind. I think the ending makes up for it. 
> 
> Warnings: angst again, relationship troubles

A few days pass, days turning into a week, and Kuroko still hasn’t made a move on Kouki’s phone. He’s waiting for the moment to feel right. If it doesn’t feel right, he’s concerned he’ll stuff up and then never get another chance. After almost two weeks have passed, he decides he’s just going to go for it. He still meticulously plans out his little heist, waiting till the evening when Kouki is a little tired from chores all day. He comes into the room to ready Kuroko for dinner with Seijuurou. Kuroko potters around after him, picking out clothes and candles for the bathroom, trying to appear normal and not suspicious. He follows his domestic into the bathroom, clutching his favourite vanilla candle. 

“Can we light this?” he asks. “It’ll be more relaxing. I’m kind of nervous about tonight.”

“Oh? Why is that?” 

Kuroko blushes. “Sei-kun has been very…  _ affectionate,  _ lately.” 

Kouki falls for it completely. “Oh! I see! Of course! I’ll get some nice bath salts for you too. Bubble bath as well? Or a bath bomb? So many options.”

As he’s rummaging around in the cupboards, Kuroko decides it’s time. He creeps forward and carefully slides his hand into the pocket he knows carries Kouki’s phone. He panics when he finds it’s zipped up, and, desperate for his old friends, he still tries to open it.

“What are you doing?”

Kuroko leaps back, his heart pounding. He knows his face is blank, but internally he feels like he's having an anxiety attack. 

“Playing,” he responds automatically. 

“Playing?” Kouki repeats sceptically. 

“Ryouta taught me how to pickpocket, so I thought I’d try it on you,” Kuroko says. 

“But why my phone specifically?”

“It’s not like I chose it on purpose, it just happened to be the pocket I went for.” He’s sweating, and he prays to no one in particular that his domestic doesn't notice. 

“Right. Well, let's get you in the bath,” Kouki says, his eyes still narrowed. 

Kuroko has the feeling that he won't be able to try this again. Ever. He feels dejected, his heart sinking and his stomach churning with guilt. He screwed up his only chance. The pair are silent through the evening routine, the only sounds being the bubbles as Kouki lathers shampoo in Kuroko’s hair. He tips a pitcher of water over Kuroko’s head without much care, and Kuroko gets the feeling he’s mad. 

He feels worse than awful, and he slides out of the bath silently to get dressed. Kouki leaves him without much of a goodbye, saying he needs to return to work, and Kuroko has a passcard anyway. Kuroko falls onto his bed and stares up at his canopy. He wants to cry, but the tears just won’t come. He’s tired. He wants to sleep. But Seijuurou is expecting him. He really just wants to curl up in bed with Ryouta. He needs comforting. He kicks his shoes off and starts undressing, and Seijuurou knocks on his door as he’s pulling a T-shirt over his head. 

“Why are you putting on pyjamas?” he asks. “I mean, I don’t mind you dressing comfortably, but you have these nice clothes all over the floor.”

“I don’t feel like dinner anymore,” Kuroko answers tiredly. He doesn’t bother putting on pants, remaining only in the underwear edged with lace that Kouki provided for him. 

Seijuurou’s face falls. “Oh. Is something wrong?”

“I’m just not feeling well,” Kuroko says. “I’m going to sleep with Ryouta tonight.”

“Tetsuya, wait,” Seijuurou says, grabbing his wrist as he moves to pass by. “You’ve been so distant lately… What aren’t you telling me?” 

Kuroko frowns, trying to tug his wrist away. Seijuurou grips it firmer. “Nothing. I’m just-”

“Just what?”

“Nothing…” Kuroko murmurs. “Let me go.”

Seijuurou stares at him with a pained expression for a moment, then finally, let’s go. Kuroko turns and leaves without another word. He feels an ache in his chest to be having this ‘fight’ with his husband, but he doesn’t want to deal with Seijuurou right now. It hurts too much to look at him. Kuroko still doesn’t even know what his reaction would be to the plan, but he doesn’t much feel like finding out. Not after the horrible, botched attempt at stealing a phone. 

He knocks on Ryouta’s door and doesn’t wait for an answer. Ryouta is curled up in bed with Reo, watching TV. Seijuurou left it in there after they both begged. 

“Tet-chan,” Reo says, smiling warmly. “Coming to join us?”

He nods and walks over to the bed, climbing on and settling between his sister wives. Ryouta snuggles against him, and Reo brushes his fingers through Kuroko’s hair. 

“What’s wrong?” Reo asks. He always knows when something is up. 

“Is it your heist?” Ryouta adds. 

“Yes…” Kuroko says. “It failed. Miserably. And now Sei-kun and I are fighting. Sort of.”

Ryouta gasps. “Oh, Tetsucchi, I’m sorry. Maybe you can try again? Maybe I can help!”

“I don’t think it’s going to work,” Kuroko says, shaking his head. “I messed up my chance.”

Ryouta hugs him tighter. “Don’t fret, we’ll figure something out. I promise, we’ll get you to your friends.”

“Tet-chan,” Reo says carefully.

“If you’re going to say ‘I told you so’, don’t.”

“I’m not. I was going to say maybe  _ I  _ can help. Well, myself and Chi-chan.”

“How?” Kuroko asks. 

Reo smiles. “Chi-chan has a phone too.”

“Why would he help me?”

“You found love here, and so did I. He’ll do anything I tell him to. And believe it or not, he has a soft spot for you too.”

Kuroko stares at Reo. “Why are you helping me now? I thought you didn’t approve of my plan.”

“That’s not it. I was just concerned. I don’t want things to change.”

“What would change?”

Reo smiles sadly. “More than you know, little one.”

Kuroko wants to ask what he means, but Ryouta starts squealing about a TV show that just came on, and then Reo joins in on the squealing, and the moment has passed. Kuroko wonders if Reo’s words are important. He knows far more than he lets on. Well, if it was serious, he’d tell them. Kuroko is sure of that. 

* * *

 

“I can’t believe I’m doing this.”

“Chi-chan, can it and hand it over,” Reo says. 

Mayuzumi sighs, acting as if this is the most difficult task in the world, then pulls his phone out of his pocket and drops it in Kuroko’s hands. “I hope I don’t regret this.”

“You won’t,” Kuroko says. “I promise.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just do it.”

Kuroko goes into the phone app, and with shaky fingers, starts dialling Kagami’s phone. He holds it up to his ear as it rings. It goes to message bank, and his heart sinks. 

“No answer,” he says softly. 

“Try again. Or the second one,” Reo suggests. “You have two friends with two phones, right?”

Kuroko nods, and starts typing in Aomine’s number. Two rings and then-

“Aomine speaking, who is it?”

Kuroko freezes, cold sweat forming on his face and his heart jolting. Tears gather in his eyes at the familiar voice. 

“Hello?” Aomine says.

“A-Aomine-kun,” Kuroko breathes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *CACKLING* CLIFF HANGER TIIIIIIIME
> 
> I'm evil. I know it. You know it. We all know it. It'll get worse. Just wait. 
> 
> I should have waited for my beta to read this, but I was impatient. So yah. Have it. I hope it was okay.


	28. {28}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you hear that? It's the sound of all the readers hating me after this. ( /)u(\ )
> 
> Warnings: high levels of angst, shortish chapter again, a little bit of dub-con?

The line is silent for a minute, and Kuroko is worried they got cut off. Then, Aomine speaks in a broken voice, “ _ Tetsu? _ Is that really you?”

“Y-Yes, it’s me,” Kuroko says. 

“Holy shit, you’re okay. Where are you? Are you safe?”

“Um, I’m- I’m okay. I’m safe.”

“Where are you?” Aomine repeats, more urgently.

“I don’t think I should tell you. I don’t want you to come here and get hurt.”

“Dammit, Tetsu, tell me where you are!” Aomine yells.

Kuroko winces at the angry voice. “I can’t. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

Aomine swears. “Can you come meet me? Can you get out?”

“U-Um, I don’t know. I don’t think I can.”

“Dammit!  _ Fuck! _ I finally find you and I can’t even see you? What happened to you? Who has you?”

“I can’t tell you,” Kuroko repeats. “But just know I’m safe.”

Aomine takes a deep breath. “What the hell am I supposed to tell Kagami? I can’t tell him you called but I don’t know where you are. He’ll kill me.”

“I- I don’t know… I’m sorry…” Kuroko says. Hot tears drip down his face. 

“Tetsu, you have to try to get out,” Aomine urges. “You need to find us. We need you back.”

“I- I know. But I-”

“Okay, you need to break it off now,” Mayuzumi says. “I don’t know if these calls are monitored. They probably are.”

Kuroko glances at him in a panic. Just one more minute. 

“I- I’ll try to find you,” he says into the receiver. “Where should I look for you?”

Aomine tells him about a trailer park where they’ve been staying, giving him the directions to find it should he escape. 

Holding back sobs, Kuroko then says, “I have to go. The call might be monitored. I’ve already said too much.”

“Tetsu, wait!”

“Goodbye, Aomine-kun.”

He hangs up, and immediately starts crying. Mayuzumi slides the phone out of his hand and then slips out of the room, leaving Reo to hold Kuroko and pat his back comfortingly. 

“Hey, it’s okay. You heard him, he’s okay,” Reo says softly. “Everything’s okay.”

“I- I need them back,” Kuroko says in a wavering voice. 

“I know. You’ll see them again, you just have to be patient.”

Kuroko buries his face in Reo’s chest and cries until he has no tears left and his voice has gone hoarse. He finally pulls back, all cried out and with a pounding headache. 

“So,” Reo says hesitantly. “How are you going to find them? Are you really going to run away?”

“I don’t know,” Kuroko says. His eyes are closed, and everything feels sort of surreal. “Maybe.”

“Well, I’ll help you,” Reo says. “I want you to be happy.”

Kuroko nods, too tired to smile. “Thanks.”

“You should rest. Come on, let’s go to your room.” 

Reo gently tugs him along, out into the hall and to the door with the lily. Reo helps him into bed, watching him and chewing on his nails nervously. 

“It’s okay, I’m fine,” Kuroko says, not opening his eyes. “You can go. I’m just going to sleep.”

“Okay… if you say so,” Reo mumbles. He gives Kuroko a worried glance before slipping into the hallway and shutting the door. 

Kuroko sighs and presses deeper into his pillows. His whole body feels achy, his head is throbbing, and his eyes are sore and red. He falls asleep at some point, and he doesn’t wake until it’s nighttime. He sits up groggily, feeling kind of like he’s been hit by a truck, and glances over to the window. The moon and stars are shining in the sky, softly illuminating the room. He crawls out of bed and almost falls over. He slowly moves over to the window, peering out at the gardens. Everything looks so still. 

He feels bad for fighting with Seijuurou. He really should talk to him and fix things. Kuroko heads out of his room, using his passcard on the elevator to go up to the next floor. He knocks on Seijuurou’s door, and after waiting for a full minute, it swings open.

“Tetsuya,” Seijuurou says in surprise. His hair is ruffled, and he’s still dressed in his day clothes. There are dark bags under his eyes. “Come in,” he murmurs. Kuroko steps inside, fiddling with his hands awkwardly. “What are you doing here?” Seijuurou asks. 

“I- wanted to see you,” Kuroko says. “I’m sorry for being weird.”

Seijuurou smiles and hugs him. “It’s okay. Are you feeling better?” 

“A bit,” Kuroko says, even though it’s a lie. “I missed you.” He hasn’t seen Seijuurou for almost two days, so that part’s not a lie. He really did miss him. “I don’t like fighting with you.”

“We weren’t really fighting,” Seijuurou says. He gently pulls Kuroko over to the bed and sits them both down. 

“I know, but you know what I mean.”

Seijuurou nods and strokes Kuroko’s hair. “What was making you feel so down?”

Kuroko bites his lip. Should he finally spill his secret? “Um, it’s… Ryouta saw my old friends.”

Seijuurou stares at him. “What?”

“Ryouta saw my old friends when he was at the hospital,” Kuroko explains. “I thought how I want to see them, that they’re still looking for me.”

“I see.”

“Would you… let me see them?”

Seijuurou is frowning. “I don’t want you to leave me,” he says. 

“I won’t leave you, I just want to see them,” Kuroko says. He feels slightly anxious from his husband’s reaction. Maybe Reo  _ was  _ right. 

“If you see them, you’ll want to go back with them. Or they’ll take you by force,” Seijuurou says. “I don’t want to lose you.”

“You won’t.” Kuroko pauses. “So is that… a no?”

“It’s an I’ll consider it,” Seijuurou says, still frowning. He pulls Kuroko against him and pushes his nose into Kuroko’s neck. “Don’t leave me.”

Kuroko strokes the back of his neck. “I won’t,” he repeats softly. Seijuurou starts kissing his neck, then he starts biting, not at all gently. “Ow!” Kuroko squeaks, flinching a little. Seijuurou ignores his response and keeps kissing him, his hands moving over Kuroko’s body. Kuroko doesn’t really try to stop him, but he feels kind of weird. He finally pushes his husband back when his hand tries to slip down Kuroko’s pants. “Sei,” he says firmly. “Not right now.”

Seijuurou sits up and doesn’t meet his gaze. “Sorry. I’m sorry,” he murmurs, running a hand through his hair. 

“It’s okay, I’m just not in the mood right now,” Kuroko says. He straightens out his shirt and speaks again, “Can we just go to sleep? I think we both need it.”

“Sure. Sorry,” Seijuurou repeats quietly. “I’ll get you something to wear.”

Kuroko sits on the bed, feeling weird and confused, as his husband disappears into the wardrobe to find pyjamas. He doesn’t like how things have changed. All because his past came crashing in. But he needs to see Aomine and Kagami. He can fix things with Seijuurou afterwards. 

Seijuurou comes out a minute later wearing sweatpants and an old looking jumper that’s embroidered with what appears to be a school logo. “Here,” he says, handing Kuroko a pile of clothing to change into. 

“Thank you…” Kuroko mumbles. 

He gets up and changes in front of his husband, not that he’s looking for once. He climbs onto the bed and slides under the covers. Seijuurou remains on his side of the bed and doesn’t touch Kuroko. It takes Kuroko a long time to fall asleep. He feels like crying again, but he’s long past that. He’s too tired for emotions now. He’s just blank. Despite having slept for half the day already, he sleeps until morning. When he wakes, the other side of the bed is empty and Seijuurou is nowhere to be seen. Kuroko sighs and stares down at his hands. He feels miserable. He isn’t sure if he wants to just wallow by himself, or if he wants to run to his sister wives for comforting bowls of ice cream in bed and crappy television. He sits in Seijuurou’s bed, just staring into space, for a long time. Eventually he decides he should get up and do something. He doesn’t change out of Seijuurou’s clothes though, wanting a small piece of his husband to remain with him while he feels like shit. 

He doesn’t know what he wants. It feels like if he has Seijuurou, he can’t have Aomine and Kagami. And if he has Aomine and Kagami, he can’t have Seijuurou. It’s not fair. 

He knocks on the door with the rose and enters without waiting. 

“Tet-chan,” Reo says. “You are meant to wait for me to respond, you know.”

Kuroko ignores his amused comment and shuts the door. He steps forward, towards his curious looking sister wife. “I want you to help me escape.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAHAHAH THIS ONE HAS A CLIFF HANGER TOO. MUAHAHAHAHAHHAA. FEAR MY POWER. 
> 
> I'm sorry for killing you all last chapter and probably this chapter too. IT'S SO ANGSTY RIGHT NOW.
> 
> Also what happened to Nigou??? He disappeared. Maybe Furi has him or smth. Or maybe he's just been asleep in the corner the whole time.
> 
> **Update: btw, I made a new Flickr album, this one is inspiration for the mansion and other locations. [You can find it here](https://www.flickr.com/photos/113626506@N06/albums/72157683125858491).


	29. {29}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter is short. 
> 
> I started reading Sever today! My god it is //vastly// better than Fever. I remember why Fever was my least favourite of the trilogy. It was okay rereading it, better than I remembered it being, but the end.... No... And Sever is just more interesting in general. Probably because the main character is reunited with the people from the mansion and idk I'm just partial to the whole mansion part of the plot. 
> 
> ANYWAY. 
> 
> This chapter is pretty angsty. If you thought it was bad before, WELL. YOU'RE IN FOR A TREAT. IT'S STILL GONNA GET WORSE. JUST YOU WAIT.

Reo stares in surprise. “You  _ what? _ ”

“I want you to help me escape,” Kuroko repeats himself. 

“You’re really doing it?” Reo murmurs, staring at the floor, though it seems like it’s more to himself. He looks up again. “Sei-chan is going to  _ flip  _ if you leave.”

“He’ll have to get over it,” Kuroko says dismissively. “Now help me come up with a plan.”

“This is dangerous, you know,” Reo says hesitantly. 

“I know. But you said you’ll support me.” Kuroko chews on his lip for a second. “Will you help me do this?”

Reo smiles. “I will. Why aren’t you going to Ryou-chan for this? I’m sure he’d be just as eager to help.”

“I don’t know if I can trust him with an escape plan,” Kuroko says. “I love him, but this is important, and I’ll only get one chance. If he starts doubting what we’re doing, I won’t be able to leave.”

“And so you came to me, because you know I’m suicidal enough to agree to this?” Reo asks with a grin. “Well, you came to the right place. And let me get Chi-chan in on it. He’ll be a big help. And trust me, he’ll be okay with helping you. Sei-chan is paying him to do a job, but he’s more loyal to me than his boss.”

“Are you sure? I can’t risk messing this up,” Kuroko says.

“Trust me, I have him under my control,” Reo says with a smug look. 

“I don’t want to know,” Kuroko says blankly. 

“Heh, whatever you say, Tet-chan. Now, let’s get to work. So, do you have any ideas yet?”

“Not really. I just came here straight away without thinking,” Kuroko answers. 

Reo puts a finger to his lips in thought. “Hm, well, first things first, we need assistance.” 

He gets up from his lounge chair and goes to the buttons beside his bed, pressing the call button. Mayuzumi turns up within a few minutes, his face blank as ever as he enters. 

“You two are so alike sometimes,” Reo says. 

“What do you need from me?” Mayuzumi asks, glancing between the two wives. 

“Tet-chan is escaping!” Reo announces proudly. 

Kuroko blushes. Does he have to be so loud? The whole floor probably heard. 

“Right. So what do you need  _ me _ for?” 

“To help us with a plan of course! You're staff, so we’ll have better luck with you than with just me,” Reo says. 

“Well,” Mayuzumi begins, “trucks come by every Wednesday to deliver food. I suppose I could sneak you out with one.”

“That's remarkably simple,” Kuroko comments. “Would that really work?”

“We’d have to make sure you're not seen getting in,” Mayuzumi says. “But otherwise, yeah, I don't see why not. You have a passcard now, so you can get to the kitchen easily. The trucks stop in the carpark outside the servant’s entrance, if you were to happen to go for an outside walk at that time, you could stow away in the back of the truck.”

“So… how do we make this all work?” Reo asks. 

Kuroko is shaking slightly. This is really happening. 

“I can assist with the unpacking of the truck, so I can be there,” Mayuzumi says. “Tetsuya, you just need to ‘go for a walk’ before it arrives, and then appear at the truck right before it leaves. I’ll help you get in and make sure you’re hidden.”

“What then?” Kuroko asks quietly. He’s weak with nerves, his heart pounding and blood rushing in his ears. 

“That’s up to you,” Mayuzumi says. “You’ll have to get out without being noticed. I don’t know what happens to the trucks when they leave, or where they go.”

Kuroko nods. “Okay. When can we do this?”

“The next delivery is in five days,” Mayuzumi says. “You can go then or you can wait for a better time.”

“No,” Kuroko murmurs, “now. I’ll go in five days.”

“Right then.” Mayuzumi looks at him. “By the way, your friends won’t stop calling me. I had to block their numbers.”

“Of course they would,” Kuroko says. 

“I don’t think we should risk letting you talk to them again,” Mayuzumi adds, somewhat hesitantly, as if he’s afraid his words will make Kuroko upset.

“No, I know. It’s best not to speak with them. I’ll see them soon enough anyway.” 

Reo smiles sort of sadly at him. “Are you going to come back?” he asks. 

Kuroko considers his answer. Yes, yes he will come back, he thinks. He doesn’t want to leave his sister wives, his dog, or Seijuurou, despite their weird relationship at the moment. He wants to fix things, but he needs this first. He needs closure. He needs to tell his friends that he’s okay, that he’s safe. That he’s happy here, even. He ignores the voice at the back of his head that tells him ‘not anymore’. 

* * *

 

Kuroko sleeps in his own room for the next few days. Ryouta doesn’t suspect anything, even when Kuroko asks him to sleep over. He’s going to miss Ryouta. He doesn’t plan to be gone for long, but it somehow feels like everything is final. Like he somehow won’t see his chirpy blonde friend again. He knows that’s ridiculous, that he’ll be back before long, but he can’t shake this weird feeling. Reo joins them, though he and Kuroko both act as if nothing is different. 

Seijuurou leaves them alone. When Kuroko asks Kouki where he’s been, the domestic says that Seijuurou has been studying. He’s training to be a pharmacist, and Kouki says he’s been neglecting his study in the last few months, so he needs to catch up. At least, that’s what Seijuurou has been saying. Kuroko knows that he’s avoiding them. 

He wakes up at 4AM on Wednesday morning. Ryouta is sound asleep in his bed, snoring lightly, his limbs tangled all through the blankets. Kuroko leans down and kisses his forehead, and Ryouta mumbles something incoherent, then starts snoring again. Kuroko slips quietly out of bed and goes to his wardrobe to get dressed. He finds the white jumper he wore the morning after his wedding, the one with the lace and bows, pairing them with jeans the colour of his hair. He also puts on thick socks and a pair of Ugg boots, perfect for walking outside in this weather. Nigou is awake when he comes out, giving Kuroko a soft little whine.

“Shhh, it’s okay,” Kuroko says, patting his head. He then gives his sleeping sister wife a final glance, and leaves the room. 

Everything is so quiet. The sun isn’t up yet, and the birds are still asleep, leaving the world in an eerie state of being. Things change when Kuroko reaches the kitchen. The cooks are bustling around, ready for the morning food delivery. 

“What are you doing up?” the head cook asks. 

“Couldn’t sleep. Going for a walk to clear my head,” Kuroko answers, perfectly rehearsed.

“It’s cold out there. It even snowed overnight. One should be careful, don’t want to go walking and get lost forever.” The cook winks and then returns to barking at the others. 

Kuroko stares for a moment, then just nods and steps out the servant’s door, into the freezing outside. He can see the car park, empty for the moment. He starts walking, his boots crunching in the snow. He finds the old garden swing, and sits down, pushing himself along gently. Eventually the sun starts to rise, and he hears the sound of a large truck coming down the driveway. He abandons the swing and heads back towards the mansion. He sees Mayuzumi after a few minutes, and they make eye contact. Mayuzumi shakes his head, then continues unloading the truck. When everything has been moved inside, Mayuzumi nods at Kuroko. Kuroko jogs over to him. 

“Ready?” Mayuzumi asks. 

“As I’ll ever be,” Kuroko says. 

“Well, in you go. You can hide among the empty boxes from last week. Just make sure you get out without being seen.”

“Got it. Thank you,” Kuroko says. 

“Don’t thank me. Just go,” Mayuzumi says. 

Kuroko nods, then climbs into the back of the truck. He settles down behind some boxes, and gives Mayuzumi a final look as the domestic closes the doors. Then he’s in darkness. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp. Bye Kuroko. Good luck in ur journey. 
> 
> I wonder how far he'll get?


	30. {30}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Angst. A whole lotta angst. Like so much angst it hurts.

After what feels like forever, the truck starts up. It begins to move, gradually getting faster. Kuroko feels tears in his eyes. His goodbye to Ryouta and Nigou was pretty depressing, and he didn’t say goodbye to Reo and Kouki. Or Seijuurou. Not that he could have, but this feels so wrong. Why does it feel like he’ll never see them again? And how is he going to get back to the mansion? Aomine and Kagami will have Mayuzumi’s number in their phones, but they’ve both been blocked. So unless Mayuzumi unblocks the numbers, Kuroko supposes he’ll just have to find his own way back. 

The truck drives for a long time, and Kuroko begins to feel a little worried that he’s going to end up in another city. Eventually, it finally seems to stops. Kuroko wonders what he should do. If he should jump out now, or wait for someone to open the doors so he can survey his surroundings. He decides to wait, huddling down behind the boxes for safety. The doors open, and he hears people talking. It appears he’s in a factory car park. He crawls forward and pokes his head out, seeing he's alone for the moment. This is his chance. He jumps out and starts to run. He knows factory layouts due to Aomine and Kagami’s work, so he manages to find his way out pretty easily. He’s then on a street in an industrial district. 

“Time to walk, I guess,” he mumbles to himself. 

He hopes no one bothers him. He is an omega after all, and dressed in fairly nice clothes. It would be the actual worst thing if more Gatherers spot him. 

But no one does, and he manages to reach the city without being seen. There’s cars and people, mostly rich looking people or the occasional homeless orphan asking for coins. Kuroko glances around, looking for anything notable. He wonders if he could borrow someone’s phone, perhaps. He spots a cafe, and decides to go in. 

It’s warm and cozy inside, and it’s decorated in an old 50s style, just like the one he likes back in Tokyo. He feels tempted to order a vanilla milkshake, but he has no money on him anyway. There’s a few people inside the cafe, all first generations, but they don’t even give Kuroko a glance. He walks up to the counter to where a first generation lady is working. 

“U-Um, hello,” he mumbles. 

The woman eyes him. “You’re a cute one,” she says. “I see you’ve got a wedding ring.  Where’s your alpha, little omega?”

“I- I lost them. May I borrow your phone?”

“Sure thing, little omega. You shouldn’t be wandering around alone.”

She pulls a phone out of her pocket and hands it to him. Kuroko mumbles a thank you and then turns away. He’s shaking as he types in the first number, Kagami’s. 

“Please, please answer,” he whispers. 

* * *

 

Kagami is out. He and Aomine needed supplies, so he’d walked into the city (driving costs too much fuel) and found a convenience store. Aomine had stayed home, he’d been working all day and wanted to sleep. Though Kagami is sure it’s also depression that’s making him tired. Since Kuroko called, Aomine has been increasingly blue. He snaps and swears at Kagami, and all he does is sleep when he’s not working. The number Kuroko had called with isn’t working anymore, so there’s no way to contact him. Kagami feels frustrated. They were so close, and yet they still can’t find him. They’re just going to have to wait for Kuroko to contact them again. If he even will. Aomine had said he seemed unable to talk much, that he said he probably couldn’t escape from wherever he is. They don’t even  _ know  _ where he is. He’s either in a brothel or locked up in some house governor's mansion, but they just don’t know. 

Kagami steps out onto the street, shivering through his jacket, when he feels a vibrating in his pocket. 

“What do you want now, Ahomine?” he mutters. “I’m not going back in.” He ignores his phone and walks home.

Aomine is still fast asleep on the bed when he enters the rented trailer. Kagami dumps the groceries on the small kitchen counter and goes to shake him awake. 

“Fuck off,” Aomine groans. “And stop calling me, will ya?”

Kagami frowns. “What? I haven’t been calling you.”

Aomine grunts and rolls over.

Kagami pulls his phone out and checks. Two missed calls from an unknown number. Odd… It couldn’t be  _ him _ , could it? Suddenly his phone lights up again, the same number calling. 

Aomine sits up groggily. “Who’s calling  _ you _ ?” he asks. “It ain’t me.”

“I don’t know, it’s an unknown number.”

“Answer it then.”

Kagami presses answer, holding his phone up to his ear. “Hello?”

“ _Kagami-kun!_ ”

Kagami freezes. That voice. “Kuroko? Is that really you?”

Aomine’s head immediately snaps up, wide awake now. “Tetsu? Is that Tetsu?”

“Kuroko, where are you? Are you okay? Where are you?”

“ _I- I don’t know, I’m at a coffee shop_.”

“Where? Look outside and tell me what’s nearby.”

“ _Umm_.” Kuroko’s voice is shaky, and it keeps breaking. “ _There’s a toy shop, there’s a hairdresser_ …” 

“Do you know the street name?” Kagami asks, slipping his shoes on again. 

“ _Um Shin-machi I think_ ,” Kuroko says. 

“Okay, hang on, sit right there, we’re coming,” Kagami says. “Can you stay on the phone with me?”

“ _Um, I don’t think so, I’m borrowing a phone so I shouldn’t use it_ …”

“Okay, then just sit tight, we’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“Let me talk to him!” Aomine says, holding his hand out. He grabs the phone off Kagami without waiting. “Tetsu? Tetsu, are you okay?” He pauses to listen to Kuroko. Kagami can hear how upset and frantic Kuroko sounds through the phone. “Okay, hang on, baby, we’re coming.”

“Let’s go already!” Kagami hisses. 

They run out the door, Kagami barely giving Aomine time to put his shoes on, and hop in their car. Kagami drives, because he knows Aomine would probably have an accident by speeding. Kagami still speeds, but at least he does it with a clearer head. Aomine tells him directions to the street Kuroko mentioned, and when they arrive, since it’s still early, there’s plenty of parks. They jump out and immediately look around for the coffee shop. 

“There!” Kagami says, pointing. 

There’s one just up the street a little, and they both sprint at max speed towards it. They’re panting and sweating as they stumble inside, and Kagami’s heart almost stops when he sees a familiar head of blue hair. Kuroko turns around, and Aomine and Kagami are both on him immediately. 

“ _ Tetsu! _ ” Aomine gasps as they both squeeze him. 

“Ah- I- I can’t breathe,” Kuroko squeaks. 

They reluctantly release him, then start checking him over for any injuries. 

“Are you okay? What happened to you?” Kagami asks. 

“I’d really like to get out of here, can we go somewhere else?” Kuroko asks. “Where have you been staying?”

“In a trailer park,” Kagami answers. “Come on, we’ll take you there.”

They don’t let go of him, even getting Kuroko to sit in the front seat of the car in Aomine’s lap. They don’t want to lose him again. It feels like if they blink, he’ll disappear. 

“What are you wearing, by the way?” Aomine asks, fiddling with Kuroko’s top. Kagami noticed that too. He’s dressed far too nicely. “And- is this-?”

Kuroko is quiet. 

“What? What is it?” Kagami asks, trying to keep his eyes on the road. 

“This,” Aomine says, holding up Kuroko’s hand in Kagami’s field of view. He’s wearing a ring. A wedding ring. 

“Oh,” Kagami says. “We’ll talk about it when we get home.”

Aomine doesn’t appear satisfied with that answer, but he drops the subject. They’re silent for the rest of the drive. When they reach the trailer park, they get out, Aomine still clinging to Kuroko as they lead him inside. Kuroko appears tired, and he sits down on their small bed and closes his eyes. 

“What happened to you?” Kagami asks softly. “It’s been _months_.”

“Well, you’ve figured this out,” Kuroko says, holding up his hand. He places it back in his lap, twisting the ring on his finger.

“Why are you still wearing it?” Aomine asks. 

Kuroko doesn’t look at them and doesn’t answer. 

“Kuroko,” Kagami says. “What happened?”

“What do you know? You’re here in Kyoto, so obviously you’ve been trying to track me down.”

“Yeah, we found out you’d been taken by that science centre,” Kagami begins, “so we broke in there to look for evidence. We found out you’d been taken by someone who owns a hospital here, but we didn’t know where to find them.”

“The Akashis,” Kuroko says quietly. 

“That’s right,” Kagami nods. “So you were sold as a bride to them?” 

“Yes.”

Kagami gives Aomine a nervous glance. Kuroko isn’t looking at them, and seems hesitant to answer. He seems so timid, not like they remember him at all. 

“Were you the only one?” Kagami asks. 

“No, there were two others besides me,” Kuroko says. 

“Was it awful there?” Aomine asks, finally speaking up. 

Kuroko shifts and bites his lip. “At first.”

“What are you saying? Are you saying you liked it there?” Aomine asks, a little harsher than he probably should. Kagami shoots a glare at him.

Kuroko seems uncomfortable. “You wouldn’t understand…”

“Then  _ make  _ us understand!” Aomine yells. 

“Aomine,” Kagami warns. He shakes his head at him, and Aomine slumps back against the wall, folding his arms. 

“Who were you sold to?” Kagami asks. He speaks gently, not wanting to frighten Kuroko after so long apart. 

“The doctor’s son,” Kuroko says. He’s still not looking at them. 

“A new generation?”

Kuroko nods. 

“Well, you’re not- you’re not, um…”

Kuroko finally looks up at him. “Not what?”

“Pregnant,” Kagami squeaks out. 

“Oh. No, I’m not,” Kuroko says. 

“So, he didn’t force you?” 

“No…” Kuroko says. “He didn’t.”

Kagami gives Aomine another glance, asking for help. Aomine is just staring at the floor though. Kagami gets on his knees in front of Kuroko, carefully putting his hands on Kuroko’s thighs. 

“You’re not thinking of going back there, are you?”

Kuroko turns his head away. “I might be.”

“Why?” Aomine asks, sounding less angry and just confused now. 

“Because I-” Kuroko pauses. Kagami can see tears welling in his eyes. “I love him.”

Kagami’s heart falls. He suspected as much.

“Then why did you escape?” Aomine asks quietly. 

“Because, I wanted to see you. I wanted to tell you I’m okay,” Kuroko says. 

“You could have called,” Aomine says.

“I wanted to see you. Don’t tell me you didn’t want to see  _ me _ ,” Kuroko says angrily. 

“Of course we wanted to see you,” Kagami murmurs, still touching Kuroko’s thighs. “We just thought it’d be… a little different…”

Lights suddenly shine through the gaps in the blinds on the small windows. 

“What’s that?” Aomine asks gruffly. 

“I don’t know,” Kagami mumbles. He gets up and peers outside. He snaps the blinds shut. “Shit.”

“What?” Aomine asks. 

“It’s um… I think people looking for you,” Kagami says to Kuroko. 

“What?” Kuroko asks, eyes wide. 

There’s a loud bang, and the door of the trailer is flinging open. Both Aomine and Kagami instinctively step in front of Kuroko. Kagami watches, curious but also terrified, as a redheaded man steps into the trailer. 

“I’ll ask you once,” he says quietly, in a voice blank of emotions. “ _ Move _ .”

“Like hell we will,” Aomine growls. 

Kagami can see the wedding ring on his finger. This is obviously Kuroko’s husband. He doesn’t move from his protective stance.

The redheaded man sighs. “You’re going to be difficult? Fine.” 

* * *

 

Kuroko stares, panicked, at his companions, now lying in pain on the floor. How did Seijuurou do that? He’s never been violent before...

“Tetsuya, why did you run away from me?” he asks gently, in a voice one might use with a child.

“Get away from him!” Aomine spits, trying to get up. 

“Sei,” Kuroko says, his eyes wide still. “What- What’s wrong with-?”

“Whatever are you talking about? Come now, we’re going home, where you belong.”

“N-No,” he says, inching back. 

Seijuurou pouts. “They’ll be fine, don’t worry. I didn’t hurt them badly. Now come on, we’re going.”

He takes Kuroko’s hand and pulls him up, putting an arm around his waist and pulling him out of the trailer. Kuroko barely resists, too frightened to attempt anything. 

“You can’t escape from me, Tetsuya,” Seijuurou says, smiling as he gently pushes Kuroko into the back of the limousine. “You’re  _ mine _ .”

Something is wrong. Very wrong. His eyes. They’re no longer full of love and affection. They’re empty and cold. But that’s not all. His left eye is different; a honey golden, the same shade as his father’s. 

Kuroko panics when he shuts the door on him.

“Sei!” he cries, trying to pull the door handle. 

There’s no response. He starts crying, but it doesn’t last long. Just like when was chosen from that lineup of omegas, gas filters through the vents, and Kuroko is asleep within seconds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MUAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA I AM FUELLED BY YOUR TEARS
> 
> My question for you is, did anyone guess? About Akashi I mean. People guessed he was going to be angry, but did you expect this? I was hoping it would be a big surprise, so let me know if I succeeded. 
> 
> Also the street Kuroko was on in the cafe. I LITERALLY JUST GOOGLED KYOTO AND PICKED A RANDOM STREET FROM MAPS. IDEK WHAT'S ON THAT STREET BUT NOW THERE'S A COFFEE SHOP. 
> 
> Um, so I said it's going to get worse. That's still the case. It's still going to get worse. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	31. { Terra Incognita }

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: dub-con/non-con, whatever you want to call this i honestly don't know either
> 
> Vang, how did you guess?

Kuroko wakes up to see blue curtains with patterns of silver swirls surrounding him. 

He sits up and immediately vomits over the side of the bed. Deja vu. He collapses back onto the bed with a weak moan. He hears a soft woof, Nigou whining as he tries to get onto the bed. Then the door opens, and Kuroko bolts upright. 

“Tetsuya-san!” Kouki’s voice says. The curtains are pulled back, revealing the worried domestic. “Are you all right?”

Kuroko doesn't say anything. He lies back down, rolling away from Kouki. He can feel tears dripping down his nose. Kouki puts a hand on his shoulder for half a second. 

“I’m sorry... I’ll clean this up.” 

Kuroko closes his eyes and tries not to cry harder. Eventually his domestic leaves, not giving him another word. Kuroko leans over the bed, grabs Nigou and pulls him up, then settles back down. Nigou whines and nudges his face with a wet nose, offering a small amount of comfort. 

Kuroko jerks awake from his disturbed slumber later to his door opening again. 

“Tetsucchi?” 

Ryouta. Kuroko rolls over to see his sister wife coming timidly into the room. It’s dark now. Kuroko must have slept the whole day. If not more. 

“Hi,” he says, his voice croaky from crying.

Ryouta climbs onto the bed and buries his face in Kuroko’s neck. “You shouldn't have left. Seicchi is scaring me. What happened to him?” 

“I don't know. Something is wrong,” Kuroko says. He pats Ryouta’s back comfortingly, even though it’s him who needs comforting right now. “Where’s Reo?”

“I haven’t seen him since Seicchi got back. They were talking earlier.... I don’t know what about.”

Kuroko frowns. That can’t be good. “Maybe we should check on him?” he suggests. 

Ryouta opens his mouth to speak when the door opens again. 

“Tetsuya,” Seijuurou says smoothly. “And Ryouta.”

Ryouta sits up, detangling himself from Kuroko. “Seicchi,” he says softly, not looking at their husband. 

“How are you feeling?” Seijuurou asks. Kuroko isn’t sure which one of them he’s asking.

“I’m okay,” Ryouta answers. “The baby was kicking a little so I came in to visit Tetsucchi…” 

“Has it stopped?”

“Erm, yes.”

“Then if you don’t mind, I’d like to speak with my youngest wife. Alone,” Seijuurou adds. “Take the dog with you.”

Ryouta’s eyes pop wide open, and he nods quickly before leaping off the bed with Nigou and running out the door. 

“You scared him,” Kuroko says with narrowed eyes. 

“He’s fine,” Seijuurou replies uncaringly. It’s not right. Before, Seijuurou would fret over Ryouta’s health at the slightest disturbance, but now he doesn’t seem to care for him at all. 

Kuroko stares at his husband, this stranger, waiting for him to continue. 

“What I’m more interested in is you,” Seijuurou says. He steps closer to the bed. “How are  _ you  _ feeling?”

Kuroko blinks at him. “What?”

Seijuurou smiles; a look of superiority. “Tetsuya,” he says in a sickly sweet voice. “The sleep gas in the limousine. It’s still affecting you, isn’t it?”

Is it? Kuroko thinks he feels fine now he’s been sick. He watches Seijuurou carefully as he climbs onto the bed. 

“You’re mine. And I don’t appreciate my property misbehaving,” Seijuurou says coldly. That fake sweetness is gone now, replaced by something much more sinister. Kuroko feels a little frightened. 

“I’m not property…” he says quietly. 

Seijuurou gives him a patronising look. “Tetsuya, don’t kid yourself. You lost your identity the moment you walked into that science centre.”

Kuroko is silent, not sure what to say. Seijuurou is right, after all. Kuroko likes to think that he’s his own person, but he’s not. He belongs to this mansion. Escaping only proved it further. He’d barely had an hour with his old friends before Seijuurou had snatched him back up. How did Seijuurou even find him? The only thing he can think of is that the first call to his friends  _ was  _ monitored, and Seijuurou heard the location of the trailer park. 

“So, what do you want from me?” he asks.

“Tetsuya,” Seijuurou says, brushing his fingertips over Kuroko’s cheek, “what  _ don’t  _ I want from you?”

He kisses Kuroko, cupping his face gently. But the kiss is different from normal; it doesn’t feel like it’s Seijuurou. He feels like a stranger, someone Kuroko has never touched before. He pulls Kuroko into his lap, hands roaming over Kuroko’s back and under his shirt. Kuroko has an inkling of where Seijuurou wants this to go, but he doesn’t resist for some reason. Maybe it’s because he’s scared. Maybe it’s because he missed this. His hands are like fire on Kuroko’s skin, his tongue like lava, burning him alive. Kuroko wants more, but he also wants to tell Seijuurou to leave until he’s figured himself out. He’s too scared to try that though.

Seijuurou has Kuroko’s shirt off before he even realises it, and then he’s pushing him down onto his back. His hands are roaming once more, mapping out Kuroko’s body as if it’s completely new, unexplored territory. Maybe it is. Kuroko doesn’t know what’s happened to his husband, maybe he  _ is  _ a different person now. He hopes the real Seijuurou is still there, buried away. Hopes that he’ll reemerge soon. Kuroko wonders which one  _ is  _ the real Seijuurou. 

His pants and underwear are being pushed down, and when Kuroko tries to plant his hands on Seijuurou’s chest to push him away, he finds he doesn’t have the strength. The sleep gas. Seijuurou knows everything of course. He squeaks out a “wait”, but Seijuurou doesn’t stop. Kuroko panics a little, unsure of what he wants, and not being given enough time to figure it out. Kuroko is about to try pushing him back again when his hands are being pushed above his head. There’s fabric around his wrists, tying him to the bars at the head of the bed. 

“Sei!?” he gasps, trying to struggle out of them and failing. 

“I told you,” Seijuurou says with a cold smile. “You’re  _ mine _ .”

“Sei, wait,” Kuroko tries again. It’s useless though. 

Seijuurou flips him over, rubbing his wrists painfully against the metal bars. He pulls Kuroko’s hips up, propping him on his knees. Kuroko buries his face in the silk pillows, waiting uncomfortably for the next stage. He doesn’t know what he wants. He wants Seijuurou, he wants him back, but not like this. 

Kuroko suddenly feels a cool wetness between his legs as Seijuurou rubs his fingertips there. He gasps and flinches, trying to pull away. Where did Seijuurou even get that? It wasn’t already in Kuroko’s room, so he must have brought it with him, and kept it in his pocket perhaps. He certainly didn’t carry anything in with him. So he was planning this. Kuroko has the sad thought that at least he’s being kind with preparation. He hasn’t had much time to judge this new Seijuurou, but he’s not sure if he would have even expected such kindness from him judging from what he’s seen so far. 

Fingers press inside of him, and he squirms uncomfortably. It’s not gentle like Seijuurou usually would be, instead he thrusts his fingers roughly, not giving Kuroko time to relax and adjust. They slide out just as quickly as they entered. Kuroko tries to glance over his shoulder to look at his husband. 

“S-Sei, wait,” he stammers nervously. 

Seijuurou shushes him, stroking down the curve of his back gently. “Relax, Tetsuya. You’re fine,” he says dismissively, his voice blank of emotion.

“N-No, wai-  _ AAH! _ ” 

He bites down into his pillow, telling his brain to ignore the pain spiking through his lower body. Seijuurou doesn’t slow down for a second, brutally attacking. Kuroko grips the bars he’s tied to, forcing back tears. 

It goes on for what feels like forever. Kuroko is stiff and sore all over when Seijuurou speaks to him again. “Tetsuya, you still haven’t come,” he says. He tuts gently, then pulls out and flips Kuroko back over. “I’ll fix that,” he says with a smirk. 

Kuroko tries to bite on his lip to contain the weak, pitiful sounds he’s making, but he can’t help but make noise when Seijuurou slams back into him. Seijuurou wraps a hand around him, and with each brush against his sweet spot, he feels more and more ruined. Seijuurou leans down and bites his lip, hard, and Kuroko comes with a sob. The tears actually flow from his eyes when he feels Seijuurou’s knot swelling, and he squirms in discomfort, but that only makes it worse. 

“Shh, Tetsuya,” Seijuurou murmurs, stroking his hair. “Relax. I’ll take care of you. As long as you behave.”

That’s it, isn’t it? As long as Kuroko behaves. No more escaping, no more secret calls. No more freedom. He’s a slave to this mansion, and he now knows it. 


	32. {32}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, short chapter is short.

Kuroko wakes up later with a throbbing pain in his lower back. He groggily sits up, glancing around and seeing that it’s dark still. Seijuurou is asleep on the other side of the bed. Kuroko stares at him for a moment. He looks calm and peaceful, he looks like he normally does. But Kuroko knows if he were to wake that he’d still be different. 

Kuroko carefully climbs out of bed and limps to his wardrobe. He doesn’t turn the light on, but he knows the layout well enough to find his way in the dark. He finds some pyjama shorts and a dressing gown, sliding them on and then heading back out. Seijuurou remains asleep, so Kuroko goes to the door and slips out into the hall. He goes to Ryouta’s door and knocks softly, then goes inside. Ryouta is fast asleep in his bed, snoring lightly and cuddling Nigou. Nigou sits up as soon as Kuroko enters, whining softly and trotting over to the edge of the bed.

“Shhh,” Kuroko whispers. He pets the dog’s head and then climbs onto the bed beside his sister wife. 

“Wha- who is it?” Ryouta mumbles. 

“It’s me,” Kuroko says.

“Oh, Tetsucchi.” Ryouta sits up, yawns, and stretches. He leans over and hugs Kuroko. “What happened with Seicchi? It’s-” he glances at the alarm clock beside the bed- “it’s nearly 5am. I haven’t seen you since last night.”

Kuroko sighs. “I don’t know what happened with him.”

“What do you mean? You don’t remember?”

“No, I remember. I just don’t know what to call it.”

Ryouta eyes him in confusion. “So… what does that mean? What did he say?”

“It wasn’t so much what he said as what he did,” Kuroko says. “We slept together.”

“Oh.” Ryouta’s eyes go wide. “Did you… agree to it?”

“Not really,” Kuroko answers. 

“I see…” Ryouta frowns. He looks worried. “I can’t believe he’d do that… I thought he was… I don’t know.”

“Something’s changed in him,” Kuroko says quietly. “He’s a different person now.”

Nigou whines again. Kuroko strokes his fur comfortingly. 

“I know. Do you think he’ll go back to normal?” Ryouta asks. 

“I don’t know… Maybe,” Kuroko says. “I really don’t know. I guess my escaping set him off to change. I don’t know what I could do to change him back. Maybe he’ll be like this forever now.”

“Did you notice his eyes?” 

“Yes,” Kuroko nods. “The left one is the same colour as his father’s now.”

“Creepy.” Ryouta bites his lip. “Sorry, Tetsucchi. That he did that.”

“It’s fine, I don’t really care,” Kuroko admits. 

“Why not? Didn’t he hurt you?”

Kuroko struggles to find the right words. “Yes, but… I don’t hate him. I don’t understand it, but I just want things to be fixed.”

Ryouta hugs him again. Nigou barks when he’s squished between the pair. 

“Sorry, pup,” Ryouta says, giving him a pat. “Be quiet though, or you’ll wake everyone up.”

“Have you seen Reo yet?” Kuroko asks.

“No, I haven’t had the chance. Why don’t we visit him now?” Ryouta suggests. “It’s early, but he always gets up early anyway.”

“Good idea. I’m slightly worried about him,” Kuroko says.

“Because I saw Seicchi talking to him?”

“Yes. I can’t imagine that’s a good sign.”

They go back into the hall, heading down to Reo’s door. Kuroko knocks, but there’s no answer. 

“Maybe he’s still asleep?” Ryouta says. 

Kuroko frowns and pushes the door handle. Reo is inside, in bed and asleep, just as Ryouta suggested. They tiptoe over to the bed and climb on, and Ryouta gently shakes Reo’s shoulders. It takes a moment, then he mumbles in complaint. 

“What?” he asks tiredly. 

“Wanted to check on you,” Ryouta says. “We were worried.”

Reo sits up and presses his forehead into his palm. “I have a headache,” he breathes. He looks at Kuroko. “Turns out escaping wasn't the best plan.”

“Seijuurou?” Kuroko asks. “You know about him?”

“Indeed.”

“What did he say to you? I saw you talking yesterday,” Ryouta says. 

Reo blinks. “Nothing really. He just wanted to know if I had anything to do with Tet-chan’s escape. I said I didn't.” 

“Did he believe you?” Kuroko asks. 

“I think so, yes. And I appreciate the concern, but I’m fine. It's 5am, go back to sleep,” Reo says. He lies back down and closes his eyes. That's that. 

Ryouta pulls Kuroko off the bed and takes him back into the hall. “Do you want to stay in my room this morning? Until the house wakes up?” he asks.

“It’s a nice offer, but no, I’ll go back with Sei,” Kuroko says. 

Ryouta pauses to look at him. “Are you sure? Even after what he did?”

Kuroko smiles reassuringly. “I already said, I’m fine. You go back to bed. You need the rest.”

“So do  _ you _ ,” Ryouta says. 

“I’ll be fine. I might take Nigou with me though.”

“Of course!” 

Ryouta opens his door, and Nigou jumps off the bed and trots over to Kuroko. 

“Good boy,” Kuroko praises him, reaching down to rub his ears.

“I’ll see you later then,” Ryouta says. He hugs Kuroko. “Be careful.”

“You too,” Kuroko murmurs. Ryouta smiles and then disappears into his room. Kuroko looks down at Nigou. “Come on, we’re going back to bed.”

Nigou trots along after him back down the hall, back into his room. Seijuurou appears to still be asleep, so Kuroko tiptoes over and carefully climbs back onto the bed. He scoops Nigou up and plops him on top of the covers, then holds up a finger to his lips to tell the puppy to be quiet. 

“Morning.”

Kuroko jumps. “M-Morning,” he says. “You surprised me.”

Seijuurou sits up and smiles. “Apologies. Where were you?”

“Visiting Ryouta. I wanted Nigou.”

“Ah.” 

Kuroko stares at his lap. He feels awkward. This is still Seijuurou, but he’s just… different. Kuroko feels smaller next to his husband now. A hand on his cheek turns his head, and Seijuurou leans in and kisses him. Kuroko tries to relax, tries to tell himself that this is normal. He wants to believe it. 

“I have work to do. You should come with me though,” Seijuurou says. 

“A-Are you sure you want me to?”

Seijuurou tilts his head. “Of course I am. I want you with me. Do you believe I don’t care about you?”

Kuroko blushes. “That’s not...what I meant… I just…don’t want to bother you…”

Seijuurou smiles. “You never bother me, Tetsuya. Bring the dog if you like. We can have breakfast in my room.”

Kuroko nods, hopping out of bed again. It feels almost normal. Seijuurou is being kind again, even though it feels different. He’s not the same as he was. But he still cares. Just… in a different way. Kuroko can almost pretend things are how they were like this. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My kitten woke me up at 1am and I've been awake for 3 hours now. Gross. Evil kitten. Evil fat kitten. 
> 
> This chapter is short but interesting things are coming. If you've read the original series, weeeellll. Jenna. Is all I'm gonna say. IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS DON'T LOOK IT UP (╬⓪益⓪)
> 
> Oh, question. What would you call what happened in the last chapter? Dub-con or non-con? Cos I really don't know. Kuroko doesn't know either. Kise is firmly like 'RAPE RAPE BAD SEICCHI I CAN"T BELIEVE HE HURT MY TETSUCCHI ((╬●∀●)' meanwhile Kuroko is like 'idek do i care? i probably dont care'. And then there's Akashi and WHO KNOWS what he thinks of it.


	33. {33}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A longer chapter this time! I'm a bit eehhhhhhh on how this one turned out, but whatever. 
> 
> Warnings: underage drinking, angst, non-explicit sexual content
> 
> //what a great mix of tags//
> 
> *Btw, I checked that old VIXX fanfic I wrote. It was 57k words. SO Chemicals has been longer than it for a while now. This is officially the longest story I've ever written then. It's not even that long. Okay, I mean, it took me about 12 hours to binge read the whole thing today. But still. Other people have written far more than I have.
> 
> **Noticed some inconsistency issues. Fixed it.

“I want to take you out tomorrow night,” Seijuurou announces.

Kuroko looks up from the book he’s reading. He’s lying on Seijuurou’s bed while his husband works at his desk. It has actually been fairly relaxing. “Really? Where?”

“There’s a function on for my father’s hospital. I usually don’t go to these things, but I thought maybe we could both attend this time.”

Kuroko purses his lips. Is this a trick of some sort? Not two days ago he was free of this place and then dragged back, and now Seijuurou already wants to take him out to a party? “Sure,” he says slowly.

“Do you not want to go?”

“It’s not that,” Kuroko says.

“Then what?”

“It’s just… are you sure you want to take _me_?”

“Of course I do. You’re my First Wife,” Seijuurou says.

“So you still trust me?” Kuroko asks hesitantly.

Seijuurou smiles. “Not at all. But you won’t be going anywhere without me. I’ll make sure of that.”

Kuroko has finally recovered from the sleep gas. He realised, as he’d been following Seijuurou to the next floor, that his pass-card was missing. It must have been taken off him while he slept. He didn’t ask about it, he figured that would only cause trouble for himself. Best to just let it go. Accept his fate. He’s still in kind of a shock after being captured and dragged back. It feels like he’s dreaming, like he’ll wake up and be back in the trailer on the tiny, cramped bed. Kagami will be making him some tea, and Aomine comes in the door after returning from work. It feels like it could still happen. But Kuroko also knows that he’s not going to wake up, and he will probably never see them again. As Seijuurou said, he’s not going anywhere without his husband now.

Kuroko remains in Seijuurou’s room until the next day. He’s barely given a moment by himself, the only time he’s allowed on his own is if he goes to the bathroom. Seijuurou, as if trying to intimidate him, even informs him that he has guards posted outside the door. Kuroko wasn’t planning on running, but he’s definitely not now. He knows he has no chance of escape. He doesn’t want to anyway. He’s given in. He’s been broken.

The party is at 7pm that night, so around 5, Seijuurou takes Kuroko back to the wives’ floor to get ready. Kouki is there, waiting nervously in Kuroko’s room.

“I’ll be back to pick you up later,” Seijuurou says. He kisses Kuroko’s cheek and then leaves.

“H-How are things with you two?” Kouki asks as he guides Kuroko into the bathroom.

“Weird,” Kuroko answers. He’s been with his husband for two days straight now, and Seijuurou has been nothing but kind. It’s slightly disturbing, actually.

“I noticed Seijuurou-sama’s eyes…”

Kuroko nods. “Yes. He seems to have changed.”

“He hasn’t hurt you, has he?” Kouki asks, his eyes wide.

Kuroko blinks at his domestic. “No, he hasn’t.” He decides his domestic doesn’t need to know.

“That’s good. I can’t really do much, but if he does something, you can tell me,” Kouki says. “You’re my keeper, it’s my job to look after you.”

Kuroko nods, unsure of what to say to that. He doesn’t particularly want to lie, but he also thinks his domestic doesn’t need any added stress. “Kouki, did Seijuurou talk to you?”

The domestic jumps. “N-No, what makes you say that?”

“You seem more nervous than usual,” Kuroko says.

“W-Well, he just, um, asked if I’d helped you escape,” Kouki answers.

“Did he threaten you?”

“N-No. He didn’t say anything else. But let’s get you in the bath now. Lots of preparation to be done.”

Kuroko drops it, he knows he’s not going to get anything more out of his friend unless he pushes, and that will only upset Kouki. As he’s soaking in the bath that’s sprinkled with glitter, the door bursts open.

“Tetsucchi!” Ryouta says. “We heard you came back to our floor.”

Reo is beside him with folded arms. “Ryou-chan, we should come back later, he’s busy.”

“It’s fine,” Kuroko says. “You can stay.”

“Great!” Ryouta chirps. There’s a small bench in Kuroko’s bathroom, so he and Reo seat themselves there. “We haven’t seen you since yesterday,” Ryouta says. He glances at the glittery water. “Are you going somewhere?”

“Seijuurou wants to take me to a party tonight,” Kuroko answers.

“Why isn’t he taking _me_?” Ryouta asks, pouting.

“Because you’re almost seven months pregnant,” Reo replies. “You need rest, not to be dancing in heels.”

Ryouta pouts harder. “Fine. Tell me all about it then, will you?”

“I will,” Kuroko nods.

Reo rolls his eyes. He then coughs gently.

“Bless you,” Ryouta says.

Reo smiles. “I didn’t sneeze.”

“Same difference.”

Kuroko smiles as well. He’s glad to have his sister wives with him. They make him feel more relaxed, like everything is back to normal.

At half past 6, Seijuurou returns to fetch Kuroko. He's dressed in a dark grey suit with a red tie to match his hair. “You look beautiful, Tetsuya,” he says with a smile.

“Thank you…” Kuroko murmurs.

Since he’s back to playing the part of a pretty omega bride tonight, Kouki has put him in another dress. It's not like the cute, poofy skirted dressed he's usually put in; this one is black, form fitting from his chest to his waist, then flaring out in a gathered skirt that has small pearls dotted over it. He feels older than he is in it, less innocent than how he's usually themed.

Seijuurou takes his arm and leads him out to the elevator. Kuroko remains silent; he doesn’t really have anything to say. He’s still not used to this new Seijuurou, and he doesn’t really know how to talk to him. Seijuurou apparently doesn’t have an interest in talking either, he just pulls Kuroko along to the garage without a word.

They climb into the back of a limousine, the windows once again tinted too darkly for Kuroko to see out. Seijuurou hands him a glass filled with a pale yellow liquid. There’s bubbles fizzing to the top of the glass. Champagne.

“T-Thank you,” Kuroko stammers, taking the glass. He takes a nervous sip. It’s better than the previous alcohol he’s tried before, but it still has a hint of bitterness to it. Kuroko doesn’t mind it too much though, and the bubbles make him feel a bit more relaxed. “Is anyone else going to this event?” he asks when he’s drained the glass.

“No, it’s just us. And my father, of course.”

Kuroko nods and returns to staring at his lap. He feels so shy and flustered. The champagne has helped, but he still feels somewhat awkward. He decides he needs more alcohol, and he hopes there will be more at the party.

The arrival is similar to the two month anniversary party he went to. The car door opens and they step out into a crowd of people. There’s lights as cameras take pictures of everyone, and there’s people with microphones interviewing those that gather outside the building. Everyone is dressed exquisitely, and Kuroko can see numerous first generation alphas surrounded by gaggles of new generations. Probably their omega wives. Kuroko can see a number of the omegas are pregnant. He thinks he spots one alpha with two pregnant new generation twins before Seijuurou whisks him inside.

“Is there more champagne?” he asks.

Seijuurou grins. “Thirsty? Yes, there’ll be plenty, don’t worry. Don’t get too carried away before the party has even started though.”

“I’m just a little nervous,” Kuroko says quietly.

Seijuurou rubs the small of his back. “You’ll be fine. I’ll keep close to you.”

Kuroko is actually quite glad for that. The two month party was all right, as he had Seijuurou, his sister wives, _and_ Kazunari. But here, he only has Seijuurou. He’s worried that he’ll be asked to dance by strangers, just like his sister wives were last time. He’s worried Masaomi will ask him to dance again. He’s also somewhat concerned that Seijuurou might gut anyone who tries to take him away, including his father.

Seijuurou leads Kuroko over to a group of first generation men. “Father,” he says.

“Ah, Seijuurou. And Tetsuya.” Masaomi gives him another of his trademark uncaring smiles. “It’s nice to see you both attending one of my gatherings.”

Kuroko wonders if he knows about the escape. He has to. But he’s not treating Kuroko any different than usual. It’s a little unsettling.

Seijuurou says a polite goodbye, then takes Kuroko over to the bar, ordering them both more champagne. “Here you are,” he says with a smile as he hands Kuroko a glass. “Try not to drink it all at once.”

Kuroko blushes and stares into the bubbly drink. He thinks he can understand why people become alcoholics now.

They finish their drinks, then Seijuurou takes Kuroko to dance. By this point Kuroko is a little tipsy; he’s always been a lightweight due to being a small-framed omega. Seijuurou seems completely sober, and also incredibly amused. Kuroko accidentally steps on his foot, and Seijuurou laughs.

“You’re definitely having fun,” he says.

“I am,” Kuroko replies. He feels much better now. Less anxious and a bit more excited. He’s had alcohol before, so he knows how fun being tipsy can be, how much it can cheer up a bad mood.

Seijuurou smiles. “I’m glad,” he says. “I’ve been staring down anyone who’s tried to come close to you.”

Kuroko laughs. “I’m not surprised. I kind of expected you to. Can I have some more champagne?”

Seijuurou grins and shakes his head. “You’re going to cause me a lot of trouble at this rate. But I can’t say no to you.”

He leads Kuroko, who’s a little breathless and sweating lightly from dancing, back over to the bar, ordering them more drinks. Kuroko drinks his as if it’s water. Seijuurou is watching him, highly amused.

“You’re a lot of fun when you’re drunk, you know,” he says. “I can’t believe I’ve never seen this side of you.”

Kuroko smiles charmingly. “There’s a lot you haven’t seen of me,” he says, reaching forward to play with his husband’s tie.

“I need to get you tipsy more often then,” Seijuurou replies. “It’s definitely very interesting.”

“Ah, the lovebirds,” a deep voice says.

Kuroko glances up to see Masaomi stepping in front of them. His smile wanes, and he feels a little sick. He feels like he just sobered up completely from the sight of Masaomi’s face.

“Would you honour me with a dance?” the first generation asks, holding his hand out to Kuroko.

Kuroko glances to his husband, expecting help, only to find Seijuurou staring at him with a bored expression.

“O-Okay,” Kuroko says, taking Masaomi’s hand. That wasn’t quite the reaction he’d been expecting.

“Wonderful.”

Masaomi takes him over to the dance floor, and they start to move. Kuroko can feel bile in his throat, and he keeps glancing at Seijuurou, only to find him looking away and completely disinterested.

“Don’t worry about him,” Masaomi says. “He cares for you greatly, but we have an agreement.”

Agreement? Kuroko remains silent.

“And before you ask, yes, I’m aware of your escape.”

He feels his anxiety return, and goosebumps rise on his skin.

“I trust you won’t be going anywhere again. I think you’re aware of our abilities to track you down. You can run, if you wish, but there’s nowhere we won’t find you.” Masaomi pauses to twirl Kuroko. “My son is very in love with you. You know this. It hurt him quite a bit when you left.”

“I know…” Kuroko whispers.

“Don’t try to resist again, Tetsuya. It won’t end well for your health. Or your friends’.”

Kuroko feels like a cold breeze has blown through him. The music stops, and Masaomi takes him back to the bar where Seijuurou waits.

“Thank you for the dance. My son is lucky to have such an exquisite bride,” he says. He then bows and leaves.

Kuroko leans his hands on the bar, staring at the black marble. His stomach is churning with unease. “I think… I need more alcohol,” he says.

“If you throw up, it’s your own fault,” Seijuurou warns.

He orders Kuroko another drink though, which Kuroko practically sculls in one go. It helps.

“Perhaps it’s time to go home,” Seijuurou says.

Kuroko nods. “That sounds like a good idea. I don’t feel well.”

Seijuurou puts a protective arm around his waist and leads him across the room. They go outside and get into one of the waiting limousines. Seijuurou pulls Kuroko into his lap in the car.

“You were a bit reckless tonight,” he says.

“I know,” Kuroko replies. He doesn’t know what else to say.

Seijuurou turns his face with a hand on his cheek, and pulls him down into a gentle kiss. It’s more familiar than before. It’s comforting. Kuroko sighs into his husband’s mouth and lets himself be taken over. Before he knows it, Seijuurou is pushing the door open. They don’t stop kissing even to get out of the car, and Seijuurou picks Kuroko up, hooking his legs around his hips as he carries him upstairs. They go to the wives’ floor, into Kuroko’s room, and Seijuurou falls on top of Kuroko onto the bed after kicking the door shut. Their mouths never separate as hands roam and clothes are tossed aside. This time, Kuroko knows what he wants. He knows he wants Seijuurou. He briefly wonders if it could be the alcohol in his blood that’s making him crave this, but he quickly forgets the thought when Seijuurou pushes inside him. His voice becomes gentle moans, and for the first time since he escaped, he feels peaceful. Seijuurou falls asleep afterwards, but Kuroko remains awake. He gets out his favourite vanilla candle, only sniffing the dry wax since he has no way to light it for now. He hums happily as he gets out of bed and dresses in pyjama pants and a warm jumper made of fluffy white wool. He then slips into the hall and goes to the door with the rose, not wanting to bother his pregnant sister wife so late at night. He crosses to Reo’s bed and gently shakes him, asking if he can get in.

“Sure, Tet-chan,” Reo says softly. He coughs as he fumbles for the light, and something wet splashes onto Kuroko’s arm.

Reo coughs again, and Kuroko reaches to turn the lamp on for him. The room lights up, and Kuroko looks down in horror to see a splatter of blood not just on his arm, but staining Reo’s lips as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (^・ω・^ )
> 
> Update, my best friend sent me this message and I'm just cackling. 
> 
>  


	34. {34}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: the sound of author crying their eyes out, heavy angst, character death
> 
> I am sorry.
> 
> **Fixed some inconsistency errors.

Ryouta is hysterical. He’s sitting on the armchair in the corner of Reo’s room, sobbing uncontrollably. Kuroko doesn’t know what to do. He awkwardly pats Ryouta’s shoulder, but it only seems to make him cry harder.

Masaomi is holding onto Reo’s face, turning him side to side to inspect him. He asks again how old Reo is, “Twenty four,” Reo says breathlessly, and yes, he’s sure.

Kuroko touches Ryouta’s shoulder again. “Come on, he needs to rest,” he says softly.

Ryouta shakes his head. “No, I don’t want to leave him.” He gets up and waddles as fast as he can over to the bed, climbing on and settling against the delirious Reo. He brushes back his hair and strokes his forehead.

Seijuurou seems completely uncaring as his father says, “It’s the virus.”

“What? How? How is that even possible?” Kuroko asks. His heart is heavy, weighing down his chest. He wants to throw up and collapse to the floor crying at the same time. He’s surprised he’s holding himself together.

“I don’t know,” Masaomi says.

“What about the cure?” Ryouta asks. “Haven’t you been working on it?”

“I’m afraid it’s not available yet,” Masaomi says. But he doesn’t seem to care either. Reo’s life is nothing to him.

“What have you been doing then!?” Ryouta yells. “You’ve been in that basement working, so where the hell is the cure!?”

“Now, now, pet, it’s okay. Perhaps we can prolong his life long enough for the cure to be found,” Masaomi says.

Ryoua starts crying again. Masaomi leaves as Kuroko is joining his sister wives on the bed. Seijuurou gives them a blank glance, then he leaves as well.

“He doesn’t even care,” Ryouta spits.

“Which one of them?” Kuroko asks.

“Both.”

Kuroko touches Reo’s hand. He’s cold and has a slight purple tint to him where there should be healthy pink. He seems to be asleep now, and he almost looks like he’s dead. Kuroko squeezes his eyes shut to force back the tears. Ryouta starts to sob once more.

“Shhh, he’s sleeping,” Kuroko murmurs. “Let him rest.”

“S-Sorry,” Ryouta says with a hiccup. He stops making noise after that.

Kuroko lays down as well, the two conscious wives cuddling together. Kuroko can feel hot wetness on his collar from Ryouta’s tears. He drifts into an unsteady sleep, his dreams plagued with horrible visions. He’s lying in a coffin, Reo on one side and Ryouta on the other. They’re both deathly pale, their eyes closed peacefully, and dressed in gothic black dresses. Kuroko sees he’s wearing something similar, and when he holds up his hand, it’s covered in purple bruises, just like Momoi had. He looks up and sees Seijuurou and Masaomi standing over them. Their faces are blank, and they shut the coffin lid. Kuroko screams, then he wakes up.

Ryouta is still lying on top of him, drooling onto his chest and mumbling incoherently. Kuroko gently pushes him off and he wakes.

“Wha-? O-Oh, sorry,” he mumbles. He wipes his lip, then winces.

“What is it?” Kuroko asks.

“Baby. Kicking,” Ryouta says. “I’m going for a walk. I need air.”

He slowly gets up and waddles out of the room, leaving Kuroko alone with Reo.

“He’s getting big.”

“You’re awake,” Kuroko breathes in relief.

Reo pulls himself into a sitting position. “I feel awful,” he groans.

“You should have some water,” Kuroko says, picking up the full glass from the nightstand.

Reo nods and takes a sip before handing it back. It’s not enough, but it’s something. He lies back down, his brows furrowed as he closes his eyes.

“Looks like I’ll get out before you do again,” he murmurs.

“Don’t say that…”

“It’s true though. I’ll be gone soon.”

Kuroko feels tears stinging his eyes. “You can’t leave.”

“Why not? What purpose am I serving here? Sei-chan doesn’t want me. His father doesn’t want me.”

“ _I_ want you,” Kuroko says. His voice breaks.

Reo smiles. “You don’t need me though. You have Ryou-chan, and Sei-chan. And the puppy.” He sighs happily.

“Please don’t go,” Kuroko whispers.

Reo rubs the back of his hand. “It’s fine. I don’t mind. I’m happy, even.”

“How is it the virus? You’re still a year away,” Kuroko says.

“Mm. I can’t say.”

Kuroko has a theory though. “Is it Seijuurou? Did he do this?”

Reo doesn’t respond.

“Did he?” Kuroko asks, louder and more angrily.

Reo sighs. “You don’t want to know, Tet-chan.”

“That conversation that Ryouta saw you having. He didn’t just ask if you helped me escape. He threatened you, didn’t he?”

“I don’t know what he did. He said some things, but I don’t know. Do _you_ believe he would do this?”

Kuroko pauses. Does he? The way Seijuurou looked at Reo, lying on his deathbed, as if he didn’t care for his suffering at all. “Yes,” he says.

Reo smiles, but his eyes remain closed. “Let it be, Tet-chan. Don’t get into any more trouble. I can’t have something happening to you too.”

Kuroko doesn’t know what to say. He lies down, pressing against Reo’s side. He lets the tears flow. Reo pats the back of his head gently, and the both of them fall asleep again.

* * *

Days pass, and Reo’s condition worsens. He’s developed the large purple bruises all over his body, and his veins weave spiderwebs across his skin, blue and sickly looking. He turns away any attendants that come with medicines for him. They haven’t seen any sign of Mayuzumi.

“Where is he?” Reo asks one morning.

“I don’t know,” Kuroko says.

“Press the button,” Reo requests.

Kuroko does. He doesn’t tell Reo that he’s been pressing it for days.

It’s mid December now, nearing Christmas.

“I wonder if I’ll get any presents before I die,” Reo says.

Kuroko can’t speak. He doesn’t know what to say. He lived through his parents' death, but that was sudden. Far away. He never had to watch them slowly rot from the inside out. There was Momoi, of course, but that happened over months. It was a slow, gradual decline. It wasn't like this. 

He and Ryouta spend every waking minute in Reo’s room. Seijuurou doesn’t visit. If he cares at all, he doesn’t show it. Kuroko thinks he’s starting to realise his intentions. He cares for Kuroko, and nothing more. He’s barely even interested in Ryouta and their baby these days.

On Christmas Eve, Reo starts muttering strange things, when he’s not coughing up blood that is.

“We should call Seicchi,” Ryouta says, even though he’s been adamant about keeping him away until now.

“No, there’s nothing he can do,” Kuroko says. Ryouta bites his lip, but doesn’t say any more. “Go get some wet towels from the bathroom,” Kuroko instructs.

“R-Right.”

Kuroko brushes back Reo’s hair. It’s matted with sweat and blood. “How bad is the pain?”

“It’s just fine. Doesn’t hurt at all,” Reo says with the slightest twinge of a smile.

“Stupid question…” Kuroko mutters.

“Take care of Ryou-chan for me,” Reo says.

Kuroko is about to respond when the aforementioned blonde comes waddling back with fresh towels. He climbs on the bed and lays one over Reo’s sweaty forehead. Reo starts coughing again, and blood splatters over his shirt, a drop flicking onto Kuroko’s face. He doesn’t bother to wipe it off.

“We really need to call Seicchi,” Ryouta says urgently.

“N-No,” Reo murmurs. “I don’t want him.”

“He can’t do anything anyway,” Kuroko reiterates. “Just stay here,” he says to Ryouta.

They hold onto Reo as he sits up and coughs into his lap. Kuroko can see the notches of his spine poking out through his pyjama shirt. He was always slender, but never this thin. One of his bruises starts bleeding. He falls back against the bed, then buries his face in Kuroko’s lap, as if he's trying to seek comfort from the pain. Kuroko holds him and gently strokes his hair. Ryouta starts crying silently.

* * *

Reo dies on New Year's Eve. It’s in his sleep, which Kuroko is at least thankful for. He had been holding onto Kuroko's hand, and Kuroko noticed it had gone limp after a while. Tears flood from his eyes as he stares out the window into the cold grey air of winter. Ryouta paces back and forth across the room.

“I don’t understand. It happened so fast,” he says. “Momocchi survived months like this. Why didn’t he?”

Kuroko decides not to tell him what he knows. It will only hurt. “I don’t know,” he says tiredly.

Masaomi and Seijuurou turn up that afternoon to check Reo’s vitals. They don’t say anything. They know as soon as they step inside. The air smells of decay and blood. Stronger than ever. Masaomi says some bullshit line about how he knew Reo wasn’t long for this world when he checked on him the night before. Seijuurou says nothing.

Ryouta kneels beside the bed and clings to Reo’s stiff hand until attendants turn up with a gurney. He starts crying quietly as they pull Reo from his grasp.

“Be brave,” he whispers before dissolving into terrible, howling sobs.

Kuroko continues to stare out the window. Finally, he gets up and leaves the room. He goes back to his own room and closes the door, taking a shuddering breath as it clicks shut. He throws himself on the bed and screams until he falls asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cried while writing this. Please punch me in the face. I deserve it.


	35. {35}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm updating so fast because I have nothing else to do with my life besides write. I could play Oblivion, but it's being spazzy and keeps crashing. So I'm put off. So I really have nothing to do but write. 
> 
> This chapter is slightly happier. 
> 
> Content warnings: PREGNANCY STUFF HONESTLY I THINK THAT'S WHAT GAVE ME A PANIC ATTACK EARLIER I AM NOT GOOD WITH BABY THINGS (so y am i writing an omegaverse story with baby things idk either), oc stuff (babby)

The days of January pass by in a blur. Kuroko spends most of his time either bedridden with Nigou snuggling against him while he sleeps, or sitting with Ryouta, watching TV together and not speaking. Neither of them want to talk about what happened. Seijuurou leaves them alone, either he doesn’t care to check on their feelings, or he’s letting them grieve in peace. Kuroko isn’t sure which. His birthday sneaks up on them, and he realises as he’s sitting in Ryouta’s bed while his sister wife throws up another breakfast. Ryouta comes out of the bathroom and groans softly, wiping his mouth. 

“It’s my birthday,” Kuroko announces.

Ryouta stares at him. “Don’t tell me that. How old are you?”

“Seventeen,” Kuroko answers. 

Ryouta smiles. “We’re the same age now.” His face then falls. “I don’t want to lose you either.”

“You won’t. You’ll go before me.”

“What if I don’t?” 

“You will. You won’t have to be alone. I promise.”

Ryouta sighs and rubs his belly. “I’m sick of this already,” he says. “I want to give birth. It’s uncomfortable.”

“I can imagine. Do you want me to get Kouki to bring you something?” Kuroko asks. 

“No, it’s fine. I’m just complaining. I can handle it.”

Ryouta has become very strong lately. Reo’s death seems to have matured him. That and the pregnancy. Instead of whinging and whining when he’s upset, he’s become much more calm. Kuroko wishes it didn’t have to be this way. He wishes Ryouta could still be that frivolous person he was a few months ago. When they had some semblance of happiness.

Seijuurou finally turns up on the second of February. “How are you both?” he asks as he steps into Ryouta’s room. 

Ryouta doesn’t answer him, and acts as if he’s not even there. 

“We’re fine,” Kuroko says at last. He hates the awkward silence. 

Seijuurou sits down on the end of the bed. “I know you were fond of Reo. I’m sorry you’re upset.”

Ryouta scoffs and glares out the window. 

“Weren’t you fond of him too?” Kuroko asks softly. 

Seijuurou stares at him. “Once. But that’s in the past now.”

Kuroko wonders if he should tell his husband about his birthday. Then he realises he has no idea when Seijuurou’s birthday is. “When’s your birthday?” he blurts out.

Ryouta whips his head around in surprise, staring at Kuroko as if he has no idea why he’s conversing with the enemy. 

“December 20th,” Seijuurou answers. “It occurred before Reo died.”

“So you’re-”

“Twenty one, yes.”

“I’m seventeen,” Kuroko says. 

“When did that happen?”

“A couple of days ago.”

“And you didn’t tell me then?”

Kuroko glances away. “You weren’t around. And I can’t leave this floor, so…”

Seijuurou nods. “I’m here now,” he says. 

Kuroko nods, staring at the carpet for a few moments. “Do you want to sit with us?” he finally asks. 

Ryouta continues to stare out the window. Seijuurou eyes him for a moment, then says, “I’d like that.” He moves beside Kuroko and leans against the headboard. Although they’re pressed together, Seijuurou keeps his hands to himself. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed…” he begins after a while, “but I’ve stopped your heats.”

Kuroko blinks. He hadn’t noticed. At all. He’s been too busy. First, looking after Reo, and then grieving for him. “Oh,” he says. “Why?”

“You don’t need to be dealing with them at this time,” Seijuurou says. “And I didn’t want to bother you while you were upset.” 

Kuroko watches him. He’s just staring ahead of them calmly. Maybe… Maybe it  _ wasn’t  _ him who made Reo sick… Kuroko can easily believe that it was Masaomi. But the way Reo talked before he died… Kuroko isn’t sure what to think. Isn’t sure what he believes. 

“Well, thank you…” he mumbles. 

“It’s nothing. But you’ll need to start them up again soon, or you’ll become sick again,” Seijuurou says. “It’s already been two months.”

“Where’s Mayuzumi-san?”

Seijuurou blinks at the sudden question. “He left.”

“What do you mean he left?” Ryouta asks with a hint of venom. 

“He left our service. After Reo passed, we didn’t need him any longer. He went back to his parents.”

“And he never said goodbye? He wasn’t even there when Reo died,” Kuroko says, feeling his anger rise a little. 

“He didn’t want to see it happen,” Seijuurou replies. “You saw Momoi die. You saw Reo die. Did you enjoy it that much?”

Kuroko blinks his tears away, glaring at his lap. Seijuurou has a point, but does he have to say it like that? Kuroko supposes he can’t blame Mayuzumi for not wanting to be there. If that  _ is  _ what really happened. He’s convinced Reo’s death wasn’t natural. Someone caused it, whether it was Seijuurou or Masaomi, he has no idea. But he doesn’t quite trust that Mayuzumi is safe. 

“Will we see him again?” Ryouta asks. 

“Doubtful. He said he has no intentions of returning here,” Seijuurou answers. 

“Oh…” Ryouta looks back out the window and doesn’t speak any more. 

Kuroko flips through the channels on the TV that still is in Ryouta’s room. Nothing seems interesting though. Soap operas, music channels, documentaries from seventy years ago, science programs; but nothing tempts him. He leaves it on a kids channel and mutes the sound. 

“Tetsuya,” Seijuurou says. “When shall I stop your suppressants?”

“Can we wait another month? I’m not- I’m not ready yet,” Kuroko says. He’s finding it a little difficult to breathe. 

“Of course. Whatever you need.”

Kuroko was so sure that Seijuurou caused his sister wife's death, but now he’s not so convinced. He’s acting so kind now. But Kuroko supposes he doesn’t really know him that well. He’s seen his personality swap from sweet to cold in an instant, and maybe he’s just trying to win back Kuroko’s favour after almost two months of no interaction. Whatever his intentions are, Kuroko hopes things will be slightly better now. He’s back, he’s not going anywhere, Seijuurou doesn’t need to be worried. Hopefully he’ll be fine. 

* * *

On the penultimate day of the month, Ryouta goes into labor. While for the past few weeks he’s been relatively calm, he’s now back to panicking. 

“Deep breaths,” Kuroko is trying to say to him. “You need to calm down.”

He doesn’t appear to be listening. Seijuurou actually picks him up, despite the fact that he’s twenty kilograms heavier than he was nine months ago, and carries him all the way to the garage. Kuroko quickly follows after them, panicking a little himself. He’s never been around someone giving birth before, and he doesn’t know what he should be doing or how to help. While in the car, Seijuurou takes over the task of trying to calm Ryouta down. He gets him to look into his eyes, getting Ryouta to mimic his breathing. Kuroko honestly feels like he’s more freaked out than Ryouta is, and he’s not even the one having the baby. They arrive at Masaomi’s hospital, Seijuurou pushing Ryouta into the building in a wheelchair. 

“Stay with me,” Ryouta says, gripping Kuroko’s arm tight enough to bruise. 

“Of course,” Kuroko replies. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Ryouta nods, trying to breathe deeply again. “It hurts,” he says .

“I know. You’re doing good though.”

Ryouta is taken into a private room and put in a bed. Kuroko sits on the edge with him, Ryouta refusing to let him go. Seijuurou sits in a chair beside them, and at least he seems more interested now. He keeps murmuring to Ryouta gently, telling him he’s doing well and not to panic. His left eye is still golden, but he’s being so soft that it almost feels like he’s his old self again. Masaomi turns up within ten minutes, announcing that Ryouta is having a C-section to be extra safe, and that they can go into the delivery room. Ryouta is almost hysterical, and it’s not making Kuroko feel any better. Seijuurou keeps whispering in Ryouta’s ear gently, and it seems to help a little. Kuroko is glad. He’s quite sure he wouldn’t be able to assist well at all. Doctors give them scrubs to wear, and they set Ryouta up in a procedure bed. He squeezes Kuroko’s hand so tightly that Kuroko is sure he doesn’t have any blood left. He actually feels a little dizzy, and he can vaguely hear someone talking. He doesn’t remember much more, because the next thing he knows, he’s lying in a bed, staring up at the blank white ceiling. 

“You’re awake,” Seijuurou’s amused voice remarks.

“What happened?” Kuroko asks. He sits up and sees that his husband is sitting in a chair beside him.

“You fainted,” Seijuurou answers. “It was almost funny the way you were swaying in there. What was not funny was when Ryouta started screaming. Loudly.”

“Where is he?”

“He’s in the next room.” Seijuurou pauses. “You have a nephew, by the way.”

Kuroko’s eyes go wide. “Oh. Can I get up and see them?”

“Yes, you should be fine. Be careful though. Sit down if you need to.”

Kuroko nods, then climbs out of the bed. He still feels a little shaky, but he pushes through it. He goes out into the hall, following his husband, and into the room beside his. Ryouta is lying in a bed, holding a baby tucked in blue blankets. The baby appears to be asleep, pressed against Ryouta’s chest. Kuroko approaches them quietly in awe. 

“Hey,” Ryouta murmurs with a wide smile. “You all right, Tetsucchi? We lost you for a while there.”

“Sorry… I’m really sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’m glad you’re feeling better.” 

“He’s so tiny…” Kuroko says, peering over at the baby’s face. He has his mother’s long eyelashes. “Did you pick a name yet?”

“Not yet,” Ryouta says. “I was waiting for you. I wanted your opinion.”

Kuroko blinks. “Mine? Why?”

“Because you’re my sister,” Ryouta says with a ‘duh’ sort of tone. “I can’t name my child without your opinion.”

“Do you have any ideas?” Kuroko asks. 

“One,” Seijuurou says, leaning against the wall. 

“Kaeru,” Ryouta finishes. 

“My uncle’s name,” Seijuurou supplies. “He died in the same accident that killed my mother.”

“Oh,” Kuroko says. He looks back at the baby. “That’s nice to call him that then.”

“So you think it’s okay?” Ryouta asks excitedly. 

Kuroko nods. “Does it have a meaning?”

“To my knowledge, the different letters mean ‘flower’, ‘herb’, and ‘precious stone’,” Seijuurou says. 

“It sounds lovely,” Kuroko murmurs. “It’s perfect.”

“Kaeru then,” Ryouta says happily. 

Kuroko can’t stop staring. Both at the peaceful baby, and his sister wife. They seem so happy together, as Ryouta gently pats Kaeru’s back. Kuroko looks up at Seijuurou, and their eyes meet. Seijuurou smiles at him sweetly, and Kuroko smiles back. Somehow, seeing this little baby has given him the first bit of hope he’s felt in a long time. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't THINK Kuroko knew Akashi's birthday. It MAY have come up in an earlier chapter but I can't remember. And this story is so long now that I can't be bothered to check. If I find out later it's inconsistent I'll fix it then. 
> 
> This story is over 170 pages long. It takes about 5 minutes for Google Docs to load it. It's real annoying when the page refreshes and I have to wait for it to goddamn load. I didn't have this problem with Microsoft Word (；¬д¬)
> 
> I didn't mention before because the previous few chapters were very depressing, but we reached over 500 kudos recently! Yaaaaaay. That's amazing, I'm honestly so stunned. Considering this fic is not by any standards 'mainstream' I'm very surprised. 
> 
> My best friend read the last chapter this morning and she messaged me and was like "I hate Akashi" and I was so sad like no no no don't hate him it's not his fault. And I went into this big rant about how Bokushi is the asshole and honestly even in canon I'm not hugely fond of him (u don't make my bby Kuroko cry and get away with it) and that it's Oreshi that I love and I was telling her his backstory and shit and she was like "oh I feel like a douche now". AKASHI IS PURE PLS LOVE HIM. He needs ten thousand hugs and a pat on the head.


	36. {36}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a very bad day today! I posted the last chapter this morning at like 10am or something, but from about 7am to like 5pm I was basically in a consistent panic attack that sorta lulled over the day, then returned in full force. I said I thought it was the pregnancy stuff that freaked me out but really I don't know. I DON'T KNOW BUT IT WAS AWFUL AND IT MADE WRITING THIS CHAPTER VERY DIFFICULT BECAUSE I FELT LIKE I WAS ON DRUGS OR SMTH I WAS SHAKING LIKE A LEAF>
> 
> Okay. So. Longer chapter this time. The angst is back unfortunately. I am well aware I am Satan. You all know by this point. 
> 
> Content: baby stuff, light Akakise (don't fret, it's platonic), mentions of dead Reo :) and the angst that surrounds that whole arc, the usual shoddy sub-par writing you all know and love, too many he's and not enough names, too many names and not enough he's, more dub/non-con :)))))

Seijuurou starts sleeping in Kuroko’s bed again. He says it’s easier to sleep on the wives’ floor so he can check in on Ryouta and the baby. Kuroko sees through the excuse, knowing he’s mostly here because he missed him. Kuroko missed Seijuurou too. It feels wrong when they’re apart. 

It’s April now, and Kuroko is still on the heat suppressants. It’s been almost five months, but he feels fine. Seijuurou is surprised that he’s not getting sick. Kuroko is convinced it’s because he’s telling himself he doesn’t  _ want  _ to be sick. It’s different from when he arrived at the mansion, when he was first on the suppressants. This time it’s not because he’s angry at his new husband, this time it’s because he’s just too stressed from everything that’s happened to even consider being intimate. Seijuurou hasn’t touched him since December, and Kuroko is wondering if he’ll try something soon. He’s surprised nothing has happened yet, actually. With the new Seijuurou, he had been expecting a repeat of that night after being brought back from his escape. But no, Seijuurou has kept his hands to himself. 

That’s another reason Kuroko doesn’t want to stop the heat suppressants. He’s worried that if he gets a heat now, and he’s uncooperative, Seijuurou might assault him again. It’s not even that he’s against the act itself so much. Honestly, he doesn’t care what his husband does to him - which he thinks is probably an unhealthy way to be thinking, but he can’t help it. The problem he has is that he suspects the more Seijuurou succumbs to his new personality, the less likely he’ll ever revert. He still loves Seijuurou too much despite everything that’s happened, and he wants things to be normal again. He’s not sure they ever can be though. 

Ryouta is turning out to be an excellent parent, just as expected. He never complains. Even when the baby screams in the middle of the night, Ryouta calmly gets up and rocks him and shushes him until he calms down. Seijuurou tries to help, but Ryouta is just fine by himself, and he maintains that he doesn’t need the assistance. 

“I don’t really know what to do with myself,” Seijuurou says, coming back into the bedroom after being woken up by cries. “He turned me away again.” Kuroko opens the bedcovers, allowing Seijuurou to slip under them. “I don’t feel like a parent at all.”

Kuroko purses his lips. “Does that upset you?”

Seijuurou smiles. “I find it doesn’t, actually. But I feel a little guilty. I’m not doing anything to help. I should be. I have responsibilities”

“He’s fine on his own,” Kuroko says. “Quit worrying so much.”

“I know.” Seijuurou rolls over and kisses him. “I’m glad I have you to keep my head on straight.”

Kuroko shifts in the bed. He thinks he might be hungry, but he’s been ignoring it as he doesn’t want to get up. He hasn’t been eating much due to an upset stomach, and he can feel hunger pains. He doesn’t realise he’s continued his squirming until Seijuurou speaks up.

“Is there a bug in the bed?” he asks. “Why do you keep moving?”

Kuroko inhales and exhales slowly. “I’m hungry.”

Seijuurou laughs. “Is that all? Do you want me to get you something?”

“I don’t know? There’s nothing that seems appealing. I’m hungry but I don’t want food. I just feel really weird.”

Seijuurou frowns. “That’s odd. Is there anything else that feels strange?”

Kuroko thinks. “I don’t think so.” He coughs gently, feeling a random tickle in his throat, and suddenly he can taste metal. “Um. Sei,” he says. 

“Yes?” 

“Turn on the light.”

Seijuurou does. Kuroko wipes his damp lips with the back of his hand, and when he pulls it away, the skin is smeared with blood. 

“I’m getting my father,” Seijuurou says immediately. 

Kuroko sits there, silent, staring at the blood on his hand. Is he dying? Is it the virus, just like Reo? He can’t think of anything he’s done wrong now, not since escaping. And he’s been forgiven for that, right? He doesn’t understand what he did. 

Masaomi comes into the room, followed by a pale Seijuurou. He inspects Kuroko’s face, turning his head like he did with Reo. 

“Have you had any cramps?” he asks.

Kuroko blinks. “Um, I’ve had a few stomach aches. I get them all the time though, I’m sensitive to a lot of foods.”

“How long has he been on the suppressants?” Masaomi asks to his son.

“Almost five months,” Seijuurou answers, seeming to have realised something. 

“I suspect that’s the culprit.” He turns back to Kuroko. “Don’t worry, it’s not the virus. You’re not dying. But you must stop the heat suppressants at once.”

“This isn’t what happened last time?” Kuroko says in confusion. “Why are the symptoms different?”

“It could be a number of reasons. I’d say the most likely one is stress. It’s been a difficult few months,” Masaomi says gently. “You need plenty of rest. No getting out of bed unless it’s absolutely necessary. I can give you an anti-nausea tablet for now. And don’t eat anything too hard on your stomach as well. Stick to soft foods. You should be feeling better in a few days should the suppressants stop.”

Seijuurou nods. “Thank you, father.”

Masaomi gives Kuroko a pill, then leaves. The tablet isn’t meant to be swallowed- it’s put under his tongue until it dissolves with a bitter taste. Kuroko wonders how this is meant to make him feel better, all it does is make his mouth taste foul. He settles back into bed after drinking some water, and eventually he notices he doesn’t feel quite so queasy anymore. Seijuurou also keeps staring at him worriedly.

“I can’t sleep if you keep looking at me like that,” Kuroko says. 

“Sorry. I can’t help it. I’m concerned.”

“I’m fine. You heard your father, as long as the suppressants stop, I’ll be okay in a few days.”

“I suppose so,” Seijuurou sighs. “You didn’t notice the side effects earlier?”

“Well, no,” Kuroko says. “I thought it was just a stomach ache.”

“I was under the impression that cramps are fairly recognisable.”

“Well I wouldn’t know, I’ve never had them before,” Kuroko says stubbornly. 

Seijuurou smiles and closes his eyes. “Fine, fine. Go to sleep, Tetsuya.”

* * *

After three days off heat control, Kuroko is feeling much better. He’s quite concerned that he’s going to slip into a heat at any moment though. Last time this happened, it occurred within a few days of going off the suppressants. So, he thinks he’s right to be worried. 

Seijuurou has moved some of his study materials to Kuroko’s room, and spends most of his time working on them. Kuroko alternates between rooms during the day, spending an hour with Seijuurou, then swapping to visit Ryouta. Ryouta is a machine that never stops working. If he’s not changing nappies or feeding Kaeru, he’s playing with him or reading to him. Sometimes he’ll ask Kuroko to take over the reading, so Kaeru can get used to multiple voices. Kuroko doesn’t know how Ryouta manages to keep him so calm all the time. He rarely cries. Sometimes Seijuurou will come into the room and sit with them. Ryouta still insists he doesn’t need any help, but Seijuurou does take turns holding and talking to the baby. Kaeru sleeps a lot of the time, even when being passed around from arm to arm. Sometimes he’ll open his eyes and just look around quietly. His eyes are red, from his father, but he has Ryouta’s blonde hair and eyelashes. He’s a beautiful child, Kuroko thinks. He’s going to grow up to be just as stunning as both of his parents. 

When Kuroko watches Seijuurou holding his son, and Ryouta gently teasing the baby and cooing at him, Kuroko feels kind of left out. Jealous even. He doesn’t understand it himself, he still doesn’t want a family yet, but seeing Seijuurou smiling and laughing without him, with his family that doesn’t include him, is somewhat upsetting. While the pair of parents play with their child, Kuroko decides he needs to go for a walk. He murmurs this to them, but they barely hear him. He gets up and steps outside, taking a deep breath. Why is he like this? he asks himself. He shouldn’t be jealous of them. Not only does he know Seijuurou isn’t interested in Ryouta that way, but he doesn’t even know if he wants kids. Ever. So why is he getting jealous of watching Seijuurou play with one? Why does he wish it was their child that Seijuurou was smiling at? 

He decides he doesn’t need to think about this, and he forces the thoughts from his mind. He goes to the library, finding the squishy lounge chairs by the windows that he and Reo used to sit in together. He sits down, brings his feet up and hugs his legs, and sits there for a while. He glances at the small table between the two chairs. It would always have a book resting there. Reo would always leave his books scattered around the floor. He kept one in every room, even his sister wives’ bedrooms. Kuroko doesn’t know what happened to all the others, but the one Reo kept in Kuroko’s room, he’s kept hidden in a drawer. It’s a trashy alpha/omega romance novel, the kind Reo loved best. The bookmark lies two thirds of the way through it. Reo never got to know the ending. 

Kuroko gets up and goes to the door with the rose. He turns the handle and steps inside. He hasn’t been in here since December, when Reo passed. The room smells of nothing now. The attendants have come in and sterilised it with sprays. The bed has been stripped and remade. His clothes still remain though. Kuroko goes into the wardrobe and feels along the racks of garments. Of course all the clothes have been washed. Reo’s smell is gone from the room completely. It’s like his memory has almost been erased. It only remains in Kuroko’s mind now. 

He decides he’s only depressing himself further, so he leaves and returns to his own room. He flings himself on the bed in a way that is far too dramatic, but he doesn’t care. He figures he must have fallen asleep, because when he groggily sits up, pillow indents in his cheek, the sky is dark. Today has been strangely warm for the time of year, and Kuroko doesn’t even need to wear a thick jacket anymore. He puts on a thin cardigan and steps out into the hall. He goes to the sitting room, and he’s surprised when he finds Seijuurou set up at one of the coffee tables. He’s sitting cross-legged on the floor, his textbooks open around him. There’s a half-full mug of coffee beside him. He glances up when Kuroko approaches him.

“Hi,” Kuroko says. 

“Hi,” Seijuurou replies. He pats the floor next to him, so Kuroko joins him on the floor. 

“Studying?” Kuroko asks. Seijuurou nods. “Have you caught up yet?”

He smiles. “A long time ago.” He places a hand on the back of Kuroko’s head, pulling him in for a gentle kiss. “Did you have a good rest?”

“I suppose so,” Kuroko says. “I feel kind of sluggish now though.”

“Sit up with me for a while if you’d like. It’d be nice to have some company.”

“And distract you from your work?” Kuroko teases. 

“I can multitask,” Seijuurou smiles back. 

He kisses Kuroko again, longer this time. Kuroko feels warmth spread from his chest to his stomach from the touch. 

“You-You smell nice,” he murmurs. Seijuurou moves back to look into his eyes. “What?” Kuroko asks. 

“You smell nice too,” Seijuurou replies softly. 

Kuroko feels a little weird. It’s not a bad feeling at all, but it’s something he hasn’t felt in a long time now. His cheeks are flushed as Seijuurou presses his tongue into his parted mouth, and he shivers slightly when Seijuurou touches his waist. He feels more sensitive to touch, more than usual, but he ignores it, focusing on Seijuurou’s soft lips on his own. They abandon the floor, Seijuurou picking Kuroko up to carry him back to his room. Much like they did the night Kuroko found out Reo was sick, Seijuurou falls on top of him into the bed, their lips never parting from one another. But Kuroko feels slightly off. His heart is racing more than it should be for what they’ve done, and he feels hot, uncomfortably hot. It’s gotten worse, and he can’t put it down to the temperature; Seijuurou is wearing a woollen jumper and appears to have no issue with overheating. 

“Ahh- no,” he moans softly, mainly to himself. 

Seijuurou either doesn’t hear him or doesn’t question it, as he continues to undress them. He bites Kuroko’s neck hard, and Kuroko hisses in pain. He’s concerned because the bite lights a fire in him that he doesn’t necessarily want right now. 

“S-Sei, wait,” he stammers hesitantly. 

Seijuurou ignores him, his hands sliding across Kuroko’s body. Kuroko tries to push him back to get his attention, but he finds his arms have turned to jelly. Crap, crap, crap, this isn’t good, he chants in his mind. He can feel the uncomfortable sliminess between his legs, and Seijuurou’s sweet scent is flaring in his nose. It came on so suddenly. He thinks it must be a side effect of being on the suppressants for so long, they’ve messed his heats up. He squeaks from both fear and desire when Seijuurou pushes a hand between his legs. 

“W-Wait,” he repeats, firmer this time. Seijuurou pauses, looking at his face. “Sei, we can’t. Not like this.”

“Why?” Seijuurou asks, his voice low. 

Kuroko stares. “B-Because I- I’m in heat. We can’t do-” He takes a breath. “Not without-”

Seijuurou pushes their lips together, surprising him. “Tetsuya. Don’t defy me again.”

Kuroko recoils a little, his eyes wide. Seijuurou wouldn’t… would he? 

“But- I can’t,” Kuroko tries again. 

Seijuurou gives him a cold look, then flips him over roughly. His strength always surprises Kuroko. He tries to turn back over, but Seijuurou holds him firm. 

“Don’t resist me,” he says dangerously. 

“S-Sei, don’t,” Kuroko quietly begs. 

His plea is ultimately ignored though, and he cries when Seijuurou slams into him without warning. The physical pain is light due to the haze of heat, but the emotional pain is worse than last time, and all he can do is bite down on his lip to contain his sobs. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You see I think I know Sei and then he does something crazy and I'm left staring at him like 'who ARE you????'. And do you know how hard it is to write non-con that is tragic and terrifying yet still romantic and gentle??? IT'S HARD>
> 
> Okay, but now the angst is REALLY coming to an end. SORT OF???????? I mean, the worst is over, but it'll still linger. Also remember when I said this story was coming to an end as well? Yeah. I changed my plans. I added more ideas. It was going to stop around now originally, but I have more ideas so I'm extending it. Lucky for you. Also for me, because idk what I'm going to do when this story is finished. Probably lie in bed staring at the ceiling for hours because I have nothing to occupy myself with. 
> 
> Idk what else to say. Feel free to beat me up for being evil. I still deserve it.
> 
> OH. I MADE A TIMELINE. HOPEFULLY THIS WILL HELP YOU ALL A BIT:  
> //1st year//  
> Early April - Kuroko is captured and sold to the Akashis  
> 4th May - Momoi turns 20  
> Early June - Kuroko begins to settle in, Ryouta goes into heat, Kuroko and Seijuurou experiment, Kuroko and Reo go off heat suppressants  
> One week later - two month anniversary party, Ryouta revealed as pregnant, Kuroko goes into heat, Momoi becomes sick, Aomine and Kagami search Kyoto  
> 18th June - Ryouta turns 17  
> 2nd August - Kagami turns 18  
> 31st August - Aomine turns 19  
> Early November - Momoi dies  
> Mid November - Seijuurou and Kuroko go riding  
> Late November - Ryouta has an ultrasound and sees Aomine and Kagami, Seijuurou and Kuroko go riding again, Nigou arrives  
> Early December - Kuroko calls Aomine, Kuroko escapes, Akashi swaps personalities, Reo becomes sick  
> Mid December - Reo’s condition worsens  
> 20th December - Seijuurou turns 21  
> 29th December - Reo dies  
> //2nd year//  
> 31st January - Kuroko turns 17  
> 27th February - Ryouta gives birth  
> Early April - Kuroko goes off heat suppressants again, family time, Kuroko goes into heat once more
> 
> I overestimated Kise's pregnancy. He was actually due in March, not February like I said. So I made him have the baby at the end of Feb instead of early March. Hey, sometimes babies are early anyway, so it's fine. Right? Right.


	37. {37}

Kuroko sleeps for a long time. He’s not sure whether it's because he's physically exhausted or because he's emotionally exhausted, but he thinks he can safely assume it's a mixture of both. When he finally wakes, he feels sore and more tired than he did when he went to sleep. He looks around his room and sees that Seijuurou isn't there. Kuroko’s kind of glad. He's not sure he wants to see his husband right now. 

He  _ assumes  _ he's still in heat. His body feels like it normally does, with the addition of some bruises and a twinge of pain, and his head is clear, but as far as he knows it's only been one night. 

He doesn't want to get out of bed. He's tired, and he wants to keep sleeping. He misses Reo. He’d know what to say in this situation to make Kuroko feel better. 

He gets out of bed. He doesn't bother to pick up his clothes from last night, instead going to his wardrobe to find new ones. He dresses in comfortable pyjamas, then heads out into the hall. He goes and knocks on the door with the hydrangea - Ryouta’s room. 

* * *

“Come in~” Ryouta calls when he hears a knock on his door. 

He’s expecting Tetsuya’s domestic, or maybe Seijuurou, coming to check on them. He’s surprised when it’s Tetsuya himself. 

“Tetsucchi!” Ryouta gasps. “Where have you been? Are you okay?”

Tetsuya blinks. “I’ve just been asleep, I saw you yesterday afternoon.”

Yesterday? That’s not right. Ryouta gives him a worried look. “Tetsucchi, that was two days ago…”

Tetsuya stares at him blankly. It’s so hard to know what he’s thinking sometimes. He never shows his emotions on his face. He steps forward and climbs onto the bed after a moment.

“Where’s Sei?” he asks. 

Ryouta bites his lip. “I haven’t seen him since yesterday. He came to check on Kaeru for a moment but left. I haven’t since him since. Tetsucchi, what happened to you?”

Tetsuya stares at the bedcovers. “I went into heat.”

“I see…” Ryouta says. “What did Seicchi do?”

“Nothing,” Tetsuya says, looking up. “He didn’t do anything.”

Ryouta eyes him. He doesn’t believe that for a second. Not after what Seijuurou did when Tetsuya was first brought back. “Are you sure?” he asks.

“Yes,” Tetsuya says. “Nothing happened.”

Ryouta sighs. “Okay. Have you eaten anything since it started?”

“No,” Tetsuya answers. 

“Then I’m calling the kitchen,” Ryouta says with a ‘that’s final’ tone. He gets up and goes around to the call buttons, and he presses the blue one, ordering enough to feed a family for a week. 

“Who’s going to eat all that?” Tetsuya asks when he’s sat back down.

“We will!” Ryouta replies cheerfully. “A feast!”

Tetsuya sighs, then resigns to sit back against the headboard to watch the TV Ryouta has playing. It’s the same drama-filled soap opera he and Reo used to squeal over. It’s not quite the same without him. Kouki brings up the food not much later, assisted by another attendant. He smiles happily at them, but Ryouta doesn’t miss his worried glance as he leaves. Tetsuya starts to pick at the food, but he doesn’t really eat anything. He’s sort of just pushing the food around his plate, but not actually eating it. 

“Tetsucchi, you need to eat,” Ryouta scolds gently. 

“I’m just not really that hungry,” Tetsuya replies. 

Ryouta gives him a concerned frown but doesn't argue further. Something is up with him. Ryouta suspects that Seijuurou assaulted him again. It wouldn’t surprise him. And Tetsuya just seems so down. Something has definitely happened. 

“Tetsucchi,” Ryouta says gently, “I know something happened.” Tetsuya doesn’t look at him and doesn’t respond. “Can you tell me? Are you worried something will happen if you tell me?”

Tetsuya sighs. “I just don’t want you to make a fuss.”

“I won’t then!” Ryouta says. “It’ll be our secret!”

Tetsuya glances at him hesitantly. “Sei did it again,” he finally says.

Ryouta’s heart sinks. He knew it. “I see,” he says slowly. “And… while you were on a heat?”

“Yes,” Tetsuya says.

“And without protection or you being on birth control?”

Tetsuya looks back at the TV. “Yes.”

“I- I see…”  

Well, no wonder he seems so down. Tetsuya isn’t ready to have a family, Ryouta knows that. This is bad. 

“Well, give it a couple of weeks. I’ll help you find out more then,” Ryouta says. 

Tetsuya nods. “Thank you.”

Ryouta puts his hand over Tetsuya’s and gives it a squeeze. He wants to give their husband a talking to, but Tetsuya wouldn’t want that. He already said he doesn’t want Ryouta to make a fuss. For now, he’ll just have to be there for his friend. It’s all he can do. 

* * *

Two weeks pass, and Tetsuya doesn’t improve at all. He’s constantly in a state of depression, and he floats around the wives’ floor not speaking and barely responding when people try to talk to him. Seijuurou started appearing again once he heard Tetsuya was up. He seems a little conflicted though. He sees Tetsuya, how depressed he is, and he actually seems remorseful. Ryouta thinks he damn well should be after what he did. But it’s surprising. Ryouta has come to expect no regrets from this new Seijuurou, so why does he all of a sudden seem like he’s upset? Ryouta isn’t sure if he’s just upset that Tetsuya is ignoring him, or if he’s actually regretting his actions. 

Ryouta has currently called Tetsuya’s domestic to his room. The white button beside his bed that once called Momoi now calls Kouki instead. The domestic turns up, bright faced and ready to help. 

“Um, can you possibly-” Ryouta pauses. Kouki continues to smile at him. “Uh, can you possibly arrange to get me a pregnancy test?”

Kouki gasps. “O-Oh! Of course! Ryouta-san, are you-? Already?”

“No, no, it’s um, it’s not for me.”

“Oh! Oh…” Kouki says. “Tetsuya-san?” Ryouta nods. “Oh, I see.”

“You know he’s not happy about this?” 

“He’s confided in me at times,” Kouki says. “I know he doesn’t want a baby yet. I was worried that Seijuurou-sama may have hurt him. I’m not- I’m not right am I?” Ryouta frowns, and apparently that’s all the domestic needs. “Oh dear. I’ll make sure to bring him some nice snacks or something. Or a new outfit. I have to do something for him.” He sighs. “I’ll get you what you need. Shall I bring it to him directly or to you?”

“You can take it to him,” Ryouta answers. “He just wanted me to ask about it. He’s nervous.”

“Of course. I’ll have it by this afternoon,” Kouki says. 

“Can you sit with Kaeru for a minute?” Ryouta asks. “I want to check on Tetsucchi.”

“Of course!” Kouki says. He goes over to the bed where Kaeru is resting and sits down with him, playing with the baby's tiny fingers.

Content that his child is being looked after, Ryouta goes into the hall. He finds Tetsuya in the library, sitting by the windows in one of the armchairs. He’s not reading, he’s just sitting there and staring into space. 

“Tetsucchi,” Ryouta says softly. He sits down in the other chair. “Where’s Seicchi?”

“Working,” Tetsuya answers. “In my room. I said I was going for a walk.”

“Ah.” Ryouta eyes him nervously. He’s staring at nothing in particular, though his face appears rather grave. “Kouki said he’d have the item ready by this afternoon.”

Tetsuya nods and doesn’t respond. Ryouta doesn’t know what to do. If only Reo was here. He’d know what to do. He was always better with comforting. 

“Do you want to come hang out in my room?” Ryouta asks hopefully. “We can put the TV on and eat junk food?”

Tetsuya exhales. “No, that’s okay. I’m going to go back to my room.”

He gets up and leaves. Ryouta sighs. It’s upsetting to see his sister wife so depressed. He hopes things improve soon. If Tetsuya really is pregnant though… that’s not going to make things any better. If he  _ is  _ pregnant, Ryouta is definitely going to give Seijuurou a talking to. When Tetsuya confessed what happened, he said he wouldn’t make a fuss, but he can’t in good conscience let Seijuurou get away with this. At least not without a stern scolding. Ryouta is pretty sure Seijuurou wouldn’t hurt him. He’s the mother of his son, and even though Seijuurou has no romantic interest in Ryouta, he’s quite sure Seijuurou wouldn’t touch him.

* * *

Kouki turns up at 4pm with something square shaped wrapped in a handkerchief. Kuroko eyes the little package warily. 

“Ryouta-san said you needed this,” the domestic says gently, handing Kuroko the parcel. 

Kuroko unwraps the handkerchief, finding inside a pregnancy test box. He takes a deep breath. “Wait here,” he says. 

“Of course.”

Kuroko goes into his bathroom and shuts the door. He’s panicking slightly, his chest tight and feeling like there’s a weight on it, preventing him from breathing. It actually feels a little similar to when he got married. 

The test itself is the kind that you have to pee into a cup for. He figures Kouki probably thought that’d be easier than having to pee directly onto the tiny little stick. As he’s waiting for the test to show results, he starts thinking about what he’s going to do. What if he  _ is  _ pregnant? He can’t get rid of the baby. Seijuurou probably wouldn’t let him, but he doesn’t want to do that anyway. But he’s so not ready for this. 

The test shows a red plus.

“Well what does that mean?” he hisses to himself. He checks the instructions and his heart just about stops.

It’s positive. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DUN DUN DUUUUUUN


	38. {38}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SHORT CHAPTER SHORT CHAPTER. My chapters are as short as I am. I try to make each chapter AT LEAST 3 pages/1000 words long, but that's pretty short still. I'M JUST A SHORT CHAPTER PERSON. SHORT BUT LOTS OF CHAPTERS. HOW MANY TIMES CAN I SAY THE WORD SHORT. SHORT SHORT SHORT.

Positive.  _ Positive positive positive. _

Kuroko stands there, gripping the test and staring at its little red plus, for what feels like an age.  _ Positive _ .

“Tetsuya-san? Are you okay? What’s happening?”

Kuroko finally looks up at his domestic's concerned voice. He goes to the door and opens it, and Kouki steps inside, looking worried. 

“What does it say?” he asks, holding onto Kuroko’s arms. 

“Positive,” Kuroko breathes. 

Tears spill from his eyes, and Kouki pulls him into a hug as his crying turns into little sobs. This can't be happening. This isn't what he wants. Not like this.

“It’s okay,” Kouki murmurs, patting his back. 

“I  _ can’t- _ ” Kuroko says, his voice breaking. 

Kouki pulls him out of the bathroom and over to the bed. Kuroko climbs in and buries under the covers to continue crying. He doesn’t really want to be seen. 

“I’ll get Ryouta-san…” Kouki mumbles. 

Nigou whines as he tries to get onto the bed, his paws scratching at the blankets. Kuroko reaches down and scoops him up, pulling the puppy on top of him. Nigou licks at his face, washing away his tears. 

“Tetsucchi,” Ryouta’s worried voice says. Kuroko feels the bed dip, then the covers are being pulled back. Ryouta hugs him, and Nigou barks as he’s slightly squished. “How are you feeling?” Ryouta asks. 

“Awful,” Kuroko replies. “Can I sleep? I just want to sleep.”

Ryouta gives him a nervous look. “Sure, Tetsucchi. You can sleep. I’ll keep an eye on you.”

“Where’s Kaeru?”

“Kouki is watching him. He’ll bring him in if he needs something.”

Kuroko nods, then rolls onto his side, facing away from his friend. Ryouta starts patting and rubbing his back, and it’s so comforting that he manages to fall asleep. 

* * *

Ryouta is in the room when Seijuurou enters. The blonde omega immediately gives him an unimpressed look, climbing out of bed and crossing over to him. 

“Uh-uh,” he says, pushing on Seijuurou’s shoulders. “We need to talk.”

Seijuurou gets a glimpse of Tetsuya in the bed, appearing to be asleep, as he doesn’t turn to face them, then Ryouta is pushing him out of the room. 

“What’s the problem?” he asks with furrowed brows. 

Ryouta glares at him icily. “You hurt him again.” 

Seijuurou blinks. He feels a tug at his heart, from _him_ , but he ignores it. 

“And you made one big mistake,” Ryouta continues. “Doing it while he’s in heat. You got him _pregnant_ , you asshole. He doesn’t want this, you’ve seen how depressed he is lately. This is your fault. You hurt him and you can’t take it back!” 

Seijuurou stares. 

_ You can’t protect him.  _

**_What?_ ** he hisses at the voice. 

_ You’re hurting him.  _

**_I brought him back to us. Something you were too weak to do._ **

_ You did, but you’re hurting more than you’re helping. He’s scared of you. He’s not happy.  _

**_Would you have preferred I left him with those others? Would you have preferred I let him leave us?_ **

_ Yes, if it would make him happy.  _

**_Then you’re pathetic. I brought him back to us. And if you don’t want him, then I’ll keep him._ **

_ Of course I want him. But he’s frightened of you. You’re not making him happy. You’re upsetting him. You can’t look after him. He doesn’t want you. _

He growls at the voice.  **_And what would you do with him?_ **

_ Protect him. Love him.  _

**_Let him go?_ **

_ If he wants that. I’ve learned that holding him here isn’t right. If he wants to go back to them, I will let him.  _

**_I won’t allow you to take over again. You’re not strong enough._ **

_ Am I not? You’re breaking. You see how he’s hurt, how sad he is. That it’s your fault. That you’re the one who made him like this. He doesn’t need you. You brought him back but that was enough. _

Seijuurou feels his control slipping, as  _ he  _ tries to grasp at the reigns. 

**_No._ **

_ Yes. Accept it. You can’t help him anymore. You never could. I let you take over in a moment of desperation, but that was a mistake. You’re not what’s best for him. You’re only making things worse.  _

“Seicchi?” 

_ Let me back in. _

* * *

Ryouta blinks in confusion. Seijuurou’s eyes have been closed for a minute, and his expression neutral. 

“Seicchi? Are you okay?” he asks cautiously. 

His husband’s eyes blink open, trained at the floor. 

“Yes, Ryouta,” he says softly. “I’m sorry.” He looks up, and Ryouta gasps. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to talk with Tetsuya.”

Ryouta stares after him as he goes into Tetsuya’s room and shuts the door. His eyes… They were both red again…

* * *

Kuroko feels the mattress dip again, and a hand on his shoulder. “Leave me alone,” he mumbles, expecting Ryouta and not wanting to be bothered. 

“It’s me,” Seijuurou’s voice says. 

Kuroko bolts up, inching away from him. Until he sees it. His eyes. They’re no longer different colours. 

“I’m sorry,” Seijuurou says. 

“That’s not going to fix this…” 

“I know. I can’t fix it. I’m sorry. This is my fault. He took over because I was weak. I was so upset that you’d left, I lost control for a moment, and he took advantage of that.”

Kuroko reaches up to touch his cheek. “But you came back,” he says. 

“Yes, but only after I’ve ruined everything.” He leans into Kuroko’s hand, closing his eyes. “I have a way to help repair things. It’s not enough, but maybe it will help.”

“What is it?” Kuroko asks.

“I’ll let you go. You can leave. I won’t go after you.”

He blinks, eyes going wide. “ _ What _ ?”

“Go back to them. Your friends. I stole you from them twice. I can’t keep you here any longer. Not after everything I’ve done. I can’t have you look at me in fear.”

Kuroko opens and closes his mouth a few times. “But, what about us?”

“There’s only an us if you’re happy to remain here. But you need to see your friends. I can’t leave it how it is. I can’t live with that.”

He’s crying. They both are. Kuroko leans in and hugs Seijuurou tightly. “Thank you…” he whispers. 

Seijuurou rubs his back gently. “If you still want to come back to me afterwards, you can. But I can’t keep you here when I know you’re upset. When I know what I’ve done to you.”

“Can I talk with Ryouta?” Kuroko asks as he pulls away. 

“Of course. I’ll send him in. Talk for as long as you’d like.”

Seijuurou gets up, giving Kuroko a last sad look over his shoulder as he steps into the hall. Kuroko reaches up and wipes away his tears, but they keep falling. It’s like a tap- the water won’t shut off. Ryouta comes into the room and climbs onto the bed. He hugs Kuroko tightly as well. 

“Tetsucchi,” he murmurs. 

“I’m going,” Kuroko says. 

“I know. He told me. I’m coming with you.”

“What? No, you can’t do that.”

“Why not?” Ryouta asks. “I can do whatever I want. I’m coming with you and that’s final.”

“But what about Kaeru?”

“Babies are portable! He can come too!” 

Kuroko laughs weakly. “Are you sure about this? I might not come back?” At least… not for a while. 

“That’s fine by me. I just want to be with you,” Ryouta says. He smiles, reaching up to play with a bit of Kuroko’s hair. “I’m not leaving you.”

Kuroko hugs him again. “Thank you…”

Ryouta pulls back with a cheerful grin. “Shall we pack then?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BABIES ARE PORTABLE> I mean they are though.


	39. {39}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of you seem to be fretting. Do you think so low of me that they won't be reunited? This is an Akakuro story!! I'm an Akakuro shipper!! Don't worry, they'll be back together before long. Chill XD
> 
> Again, short chapter is short.

“It’s still freezing,” Ryouta complains. “It should be starting to warm up already.” He tugs Kaeru’s beanie down over his head a little more. “ _Freezing_!”

“We know,” Kuroko mumbles. “At least the heater’s on.”

They’ve packed up a collection of their clothes, and are driving in a car to the trailer park where Aomine and Kagami are staying. Seijuurou sits in the backseat with them, but he’s quiet. Kuroko can’t forgive him. Not for this. Having him close by is both comforting and upsetting, and so Kuroko can’t stay in the mansion for now. He feels like if he thinks about the situation too hard, he’ll start crying and never stop. He focuses on Ryouta’s chatter and the curious baby in his arms, hoping to forget.

“Thank god. Anyway, what are your friends like?” Ryouta asks. “I haven’t properly met them.”

“Well… they’re loud. And annoying sometimes,” Kuroko says. He smiles. “They’re fun to be around. And Kagami-kun is an amazing cook.”

Ryouta smiles back. “That sounds great. Is Aomine good at anything?”

Kuroko thinks for a moment. “No, not really.”

Ryouta laughs. “I can’t wait to meet them.”

Kuroko nods, smiling. He turns his head to his other side, to where Seijuurou sits. He’s staring out the window, not that he can see much, and has been completely silent the whole drive. Kuroko feels bad. He wants to comfort his husband, but at the same time he can’t bear to look at him for long.

The car stops, and Kuroko feels his heart speed up. He’s going to see them again! The driver opens the door, and Ryouta gets out first.

“My god,” he says. “This place is a dump.”

“Ryouta,” Kuroko scolds.

“It is though.”

“This isn’t where they normally live, it’s just temporary.”

“Still seedy as fuck,” Ryouta mutters.

He follows Kuroko to the trailer his friends were in before. Seijuurou stays by the car. Kuroko knocks on the door and waits.

There’s no answer.

“Maybe they’re working?” Ryouta suggests.

Possible… their car isn’t here. They could both be working shifts. But Kuroko has a bad feeling. He spots a first generation woman watering some potted plants by the door of another trailer, and goes over to her.

“Um, excuse me, the two boys who live in this trailer, do you know when they’ll be back?” he asks.

The woman straightens up and looks him over. “They left,” she says.

“They left?” Kuroko echoes, dread flooding him.

“Back to Tokyo. Seems they were giving up on something.”

Kuroko nods, quietly thanks her, then starts walking back to the car.

“Tetsucchi! Wait!” Ryouta squeaks. “I can’t run with a baby!”

Kuroko slows down and lets his friend catch up. “They’re gone…” he murmurs.

Ryouta sighs and pats his shoulder. They walk back to the car, and Seijuurou frowns when he sees Kuroko’s forlorn expression.

“What’s wrong?” he asks.

“They left,” Kuroko relays. “Back to Tokyo. They gave up on me…”

Seijuurou stares at him for a moment, then, without breaking eye contact with Kuroko, he says, “Driver, take us to Tokyo.”

“Seicchi, seriously? That’s a long drive.”

“It’s fine. I promised Tetsuya I’d take him to them,” Seijuurou says. He doesn’t say any more and climbs back into the car.

“Well, I guess we’re going to Tokyo then,” Ryouta says. “Round two!”

Kuroko smiles weakly. That enthusiasm is keeping him hopeful.

“Will Kaeru be all right in such a long drive?” he asks.

“Yeah he'll be fine. As long as he gets fed he doesn't care what I do with him,” Ryouta says with a smile. “He's well behaved like his uncle.”

Kuroko smiles back. Having his sister wife with him on this adventure is comforting. He's not sure he could do this without Ryouta. As expected, the blonde chatters throughout the whole trip. Whether it be pointing to things out the window for Kaeru, or trying to get Kuroko to play Twenty Questions with him, he never shuts up. Kuroko is glad though, he'd prefer this over the silence Seijuurou seems to be fond of. They reach Tokyo at half past midday. Kuroko directs the driver to his old home, fidgeting in his seat the whole time. They arrive at his house later that afternoon. It still looks the same as ever. Waiting for him.

“This is where you lived?” Seijuurou asks softly, finally breaking his silence.

“Yes. With my parents and then with my friends,” Kuroko replies.

They get out of the car, and Kuroko is shaking as he walks with Ryouta up to the door. He knocks and waits. The door swings open after a minute.

“Kuroko!” Kagami exclaims. He unlocks the many locks on the screen door and then is flinging himself onto him.

“Ow- I can't breathe-” Kuroko squeaks.

“Sorry, sorry,” Kagami says. He steps back, eyeing over Kuroko and then Ryouta. “What are you doing here? What about that Akashi guy you're married to?”

“He let me go,” Kuroko murmurs.

Kagami stares. “He let you go? Just like that?”

“He's changed,” Kuroko says. “He's not the person you saw in the trailer.”

Kagami gives him a strange look. “Who's your friend then?” he asks.

“This is Ryouta. He's one of the other wives,” Kuroko says.

“Cute kid,” Kagami comments.

“He is!” Ryouta squeals, happy someone noticed. “Anyway it's nice to meet you! I've heard lots of good things!”

“So, are you both here to stay then?” Kagami asks.

Kuroko glances at Ryouta. “I guess so.” He looks back at the car. The door is shut, and he can't see Seijuurou. Maybe that's for the best.

“Come in then, I’ll call Aomine,” Kagami says. “I can't believe you're back.”

Kuroko takes his hand. “I’m back.”

He doesn't know if he wants it to be permanent. It's weird being back with Kagami again. It feels like their time has passed, that Kuroko doesn't belong with him anymore. But he still needs to do this. At least for a while.

Ryouta is excited to explore Kuroko’s old home. He pokes around through the bookshelves and the cupboards while Kuroko sits with Kagami at the dining table. Aomine is apparently speeding home after getting off the phone with Kagami. He turns up within ten minutes, bursting through the door dramatically.

“Tetsu!”

He scoops Kuroko up into a hug, also squeezing the air out of his lungs.

“Can't breathe,” Kuroko squeaks.

“Careful with my Tetsucchi,” Ryouta says, coming over to join them again.

“Huh? Who are you?” Aomine asks.

“Ryouta,” Kuroko answers. “He’s another wife.”

“You escaped too, did you?” Aomine asks.

“For you information, we didn't escape. Seicchi let us go,” Ryouta says.

“Seicchi,” Aomine echoes. “The Akashi guy? Where is he?”

“The car was outside…” Ryouta says.

“There wasn't a car out there,” Aomine replies.

Kuroko and Ryouta look at each other. “I guess he left then...” Ryouta mumbles.

Kuroko feels kind of sick. Seijuurou left him. He knows that's what he wanted, but he can't help but feel homesick already. Seijuurou has been his whole life for the past year. To suddenly be without him is weird, even after everything that's happened.

“So, blondie here is staying too? And the kid?” Aomine asks.

“His name is Kaeru,” Ryouta replies, slightly offended.

“Right. So, you're staying?”

“I guess we are,” he nods. “I’m not leaving Tetsucchi.”

“Uh, I guess you can sleep in Kuroko’s old room,” Kagami says to him.

“Where’s Tetsucchi sleeping?”

Aomine and Kagami glance at each other. “With us?” Aomine says unsurely.

Ryouta looks at Kuroko, slightly panicked.

“No, I’ll stay with Ryouta,” Kuroko says.

Aomine and Kagami appear a little uncomfortable. Kuroko doesn’t blame them. It’s been a year since he was with them last, but he’s not quite ready to jump back into bed with them as if nothing has changed. And he’s not going to make Ryouta sleep on his own in an unfamiliar environment.

“Well, I guess you can have our bed then,” Kagami says.

“Where will you sleep?” Kuroko asks.

“Couch, I guess,” Aomine says. “One of us can take your old bed.”

Kuroko feels bad for splitting them up, but they’ll manage. He’s more concerned about Ryouta. So far he seems quite content to be here- as long as he’s with his Tetsucchi he’s fine- but Kuroko isn’t sure how he’s going to cope without the lush service of the mansion.

“Aomine,” Kagami says. “Come with me, we’ll set up the bedroom.”

“Right, right,” Aomine mutters.

Kuroko figures they’re going to talk about the situation. Which is fine. He wants to talk privately with Ryouta.

“Are you going to tell them?” his sister wife asks in a hushed voice.

“That I’m-?” Ryouta nods enthusiastically. “No. Not right now. They don’t need that yet.”

“Neither do _you_ , Tetsucchi,” Ryouta reminds him.

“Just don’t bring it up,” Kuroko says. “I don’t want them to know yet. It’s only been two weeks anyway.”

It’s kind of weird to think about. Time. Two weeks ago he was in the mansion, with Seijuurou. Things were normal. He wonders when life with Seijuurou became his normal. Being back with Aomine and Kagami… it’s different now. It’s _not_ normal. Kuroko isn’t used to this house anymore. He’s not sure he even wants to be here after all. He keeps thinking of Seijuurou, of him driving off by himself, sad and lonely without his two remaining wives. Kuroko is upset with him, but the longer he’s gone, Kuroko can’t help but miss him more and more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter isn't very good. Neither was the last one. I'm overworked. But I don't know what else to do with myself. 
> 
> ANYWAAAAAAAY, I hope you're still enjoying this story. And don't want to kill me too much. If I tell you this story is going to have a happy ending will you believe me?


	40. {40}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't really eat today so I'm sorry if this chapter isn't very good. I'm kinda fuzzy in the head. I'm also super tired but I tried to put some more description in, because a friend told me my stories are somewhat lacking in description (which is true). So hopefully you don't mind this chapter. 
> 
> Thank you to aiharasama for being so nice and talking to me on tumblr. Your words make me really happy ^///^ And thank you to everyone else who has liked or commented. I appreciate the feedback. 
> 
> This chapter is still somewhat short, so I apologise.

Kuroko groans softly, wiping his mouth. He’s just thrown up again. He was under the impression that morning sickness happened in the  _ morning _ , but no, here he is, throwing up at midnight. He’s felt exceptionally hot and sweaty the past few days as well. It’s summer now, and he hates it. Throwing up while drowning in a sea of his own sweat is so unpleasant. 

A light flicks on behind him.

“Tetsucchi?” Ryouta’s voice whispers. “Are you in there?”

“Yes. Sorry, did I wake you?” 

“It’s okay,” Ryouta murmurs. He comes into the ensuite bathroom and kneels down on the floor beside Kuroko. “How are you feeling?”

“Awful,” Kuroko answers. His stomach hurts from the effort of throwing up multiple times, and his mouth tastes bitter. Ryouta grabs a rinse cup from the bathroom counter and fills it with water for him. “Thank you…”

“I know what it feels like,” Ryouta says, patting his back. “It’s yuck. But it does get better.”

“I hope so,” Kuroko mumbles. He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. “They’re going to find out soon.”

It’s been three months since they arrived. Kuroko’s stomach is just starting to curve out, but he’s kept it hidden under loose clothing. He’s been fooling his friends by saying he’s on heat suppressants. So far they don’t suspect a thing. 

“How are you going to tell them?”

“I don’t know…” Kuroko sighs. “What will they think?”

“I don’t know, Tetsucchi. Only they can answer that,” Ryouta says. “But I think they’d be understanding. I’ve only known them a short while, but they’re so sweet. And they care about you a lot.”

Kuroko stares at the floor, gathering his thoughts. He’s also noticed that. In the three months that they’ve been here, Ryouta has become quite close with Kuroko’s old friends. They’ve become attached to Kaeru, and are always playing with him every chance they get. They seem pretty close with Ryouta too, they’re always being gentlemanly and friendly towards him. Kuroko thinks it’s because Ryouta has an air of confidence about him. He oozes charm, and it makes people want to be nice to him. Though Kuroko’s friends have always been gentlemen, they’ve always been helpful and kind.

“Are you hungry?” Ryouta asks. “You need to make sure you eat enough.”

“Not really,” Kuroko replies. “I might get some tea though.”

“Want me to make it for you?”

“No, it’s okay. I feel like sitting up for a bit. You can go back to bed.”

“Okay. Don’t stay up too late,” Ryouta says. He pats Kuroko’s shoulder, then gets up and returns to bed. 

Kuroko gets up after a while as well, flipping off the bathroom light and heading out for the kitchen. He’s surprised when he sees Aomine awake, sitting at the dining table in the dark.

“Aomine-kun,” he says softly. 

“Tetsu. What are you doing up?”

“I could ask you the same thing.”

Aomine smiles gently. “Just couldn’t sleep.”

“Me neither,” Kuroko says. 

He starts going about making his tea, and he jumps when he feels Aomine press up behind him. Aomine brushes his fingers through Kuroko’s hair, and rests one hand on his waist. It doesn’t feel familiar. It actually just feels sort of weird. 

“I miss you…” Aomine murmurs. 

“I know,” Kuroko says. 

“Tetsu, are you happy here?”

He pauses. “I don’t know…”

Aomine sighs. “You miss it don’t you? Being there. Being with him.”

Kuroko bites his lip. Should he tell Aomine now?  “Aomine-kun…” he begins quietly, "there’s something I should tell you…”

“It’s okay, I get it. You should tell me about him. I guess I don’t know a whole lot.”

Kuroko pauses, now doubting whether he should spill his secret yet. He decides it’s not time yet. “Okay. What do you want to know?”

Aomine pulls away from him and sits back at the table. “Just what was he like? You said he’s not the person I saw in the trailer. So what’s he like then?”

“Well, he’s very sweet. He’s romantic and kind. He’s gentle.” Kuroko feels tears gather in his eyes. Talking about Seijuurou is making his heart ache. He misses him. “He always puts me first.”

“So, why wasn’t he like that when I saw him?” Aomine asks. “What happened? He seemed pretty violent.”

Kuroko nods. “He’s… a little sad. He explained it to me a bit, but I'm not sure if I understand it completely. It seems he has a second personality, one who isn’t so kind. And he came out when Seijuurou was very upset.”

Aomine nods slowly. “Sounds fucked up.”

“It is.” Kuroko joins Aomine at the table with his tea. Chamomile, his favourite on mornings like this when he can’t sleep. “But it’s not his fault,” he continues. “He had a difficult upbringing.”

“Did he hurt you at all? When he changed?”

Kuroko doesn’t meet Aomine’s eye. He doesn’t know what to say. He doesn’t want to lie, he shouldn’t be defending Seijuurou’s actions. It was wrong what he did, and Kuroko is still upset at him for it. But at the same time he doesn’t want Aomine to be mad at his husband. It’s not Seijuurou’s fault. Not really. 

Apparently that moment of silence is all Aomine needs. “Right… But you still love him?”

“I do,” Kuroko nods. 

“You’re not going to keep staying with us, are you?” Aomine asks softly, tilting his head. 

“I- I don’t know… It would be hard to go back to him, but at the same time, I don’t know how else to live. I’ve come to love him so much… I don’t want to live without him.”

Aomine breathes deeply. “I get it. I love you, Tetsu, but we’re long past. You don’t belong with me anymore. With us.”

Tears drip down Kuroko’s face. “I know…”

Aomine gets up and hugs his shoulders. “Go back to bed. You need to rest. You’ve been looking pretty tired lately.”

With that, he leaves for the lounge room, going back to where he’s been sleeping on the couch. Kuroko sits up for a while, quietly sipping his tea, then eventually he too goes back to bed. Ryouta is snoring when he enters the bedroom. He started snoring when he became pregnant, and then never stopped. It’s not too bothersome though, it’s relatively quiet, and Kuroko actually likes the noise. It makes him feel like he’s not alone. 

* * *

“Tetsucchi,” Ryouta says gently, as if he’s about to talk about a sensitive topic. “I need to speak with you.”

“Hm?” Kuroko says. He’s in the kitchen of his house, cleaning the benches. Kagami had cooked dinner last night, and Aomine once again was too lazy to clean up, leaving the task to Kuroko in the morning. 

“Well, I’ve, um… been talking to Seicchi.”

Kuroko stares. “What? How?”

“On the phone,” Ryouta says. “I borrowed Aomine and Kagami’s to call him.”

“How did you know his number?”

“He gave it to me before we left. He said if I wanted to contact him I could.”

Kuroko nods, processing. “So you talked to him. Why are you telling me this?”

“Weeeell,” Ryouta says. “He’s kind of- a couple of minutes away.”

Right on cue, there’s a knock at the door. Kuroko spins around towards the noise. Aomine and Kagami are both working today, leaving Kuroko and Ryouta at home to do their own thing. 

“Go answer it!” Ryouta says. 

Kuroko doesn’t want to run. That would seem desperate (even though that's exactly what he is). He walks quickly to the door, unbolting the locks as fast as he can. He swings the door open, and Seijuurou is standing there. He looks a mess. His hair is mussed, bags under his eyes. At least he’s dressed nicely. He always is. 

“Sei,” Kuroko croaks out. 

He steps forward and wraps his arms around Seijuurou, pressing his nose into his neck to smell his familiar soft scent. Seijuurou squeezes him back, and Kuroko feels a kiss to the top of his head. 

“What are you doing here?” he asks. 

“I couldn’t take it anymore. I needed to see you. I miss you, I don’t want to be apart from you anymore.”

Kuroko squeezes his eyes shut to keep in the tears. “I missed you too.”

He pulls Seijuurou inside the house, bringing him into the kitchen to sit at the dining table. 

“Seicchi,” Ryouta says with a smile. “It’s nice to see you again.”

“Hi,” Seijuurou murmurs. He won’t take his eyes of Kuroko for a minute.

“When you two have talked, I’ll bring Kaeru out and you can have a play,” Ryouta says. 

“That sounds nice,” Seijuurou nods. 

Ryouta helpfully makes himself scarce after that. Kuroko sits at the table, holding onto his husband’s hands. He’s shaking slightly. 

“What do you want?” Kuroko asks. He then realises that sounded kind of rude. “I’m sorry, I mean-”

“It’s okay. I want you back. If you’ll have me,” Seijuurou says. “I wanted you to have some time apart from me. So you could forgive me, get closure with your friends, whatever you needed.”

“But?”

“But I can’t live without you.”

“I can’t live without you either,” Kuroko breathes. 

He leans forward and closes the distance between them, kissing his husband gently. Seijuurou kisses the same as ever, though he seems more eager today. Kuroko is eager as well, desperate even. He’s missed this. His heart is clenching almost painfully from how happy he is. Seijuurou pulls back and strokes his face tenderly.

“Tetsuya, are you feeling well?” he asks, his face melting into slight concern. “You’re sweating.”

“I'm just a bit hot,” Kuroko replies dismissively. “It’s summer.”

Seijuurou doesn’t seem satisfied though. “Are you sure? How long have you been feeling hot for? The temperature isn’t so bad this year.”

Kuroko blinks. His head feels kind of heavy. “Um,” he mumbles. “A few- a few days. I feel a little dizzy, but I just haven’t been eating enough. I’ve been sick all the time.”

Something feels off though. His pants feel kind of wet, almost as if he’s in heat. But he’s not in heat. He looks down and stares in shock as he sees blood marring the fabric. 

“U-Uh, Sei,” he murmurs. “Something- is wrong.”

He falls out of the chair, his vision going black as he hits the floor. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've read the original books, this might seem familiar. This happened to Cecily (Kise), not Rhine (Kuroko) though. In the third book, which I've been neglecting reading. I JUST DON'T WANT LINDEN TO GO. I don't want to read it. By far one of the dumbest choices in a book. Ugh.


	41. {41}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello. The last few days have been somewhat of a blur tbh, I haven't been feeling well at all. I hope this chapter is all right...
> 
> It's slightly longer. I tried to drag it out as much as possible because my chapters have been dreadfully short lately. I can write a lot but I like having regular breaks in the story. I personally don't like chapters that are too long because I get intimidated by so much text and then I don't want to read the whole thing and if I get interrupted I can't just put a bookmark in it like a real book. Sigh. So my chapters are always short. Which is fine, I guess. It's just my style. 
> 
> Again, aiharasama's comments and messages made me happy. You seemed so concerned that Tetsuya was going to die or something XD Don't worry everyone, he's fine! I can't kill off the main character. I'm evil but I'm not THAT evil. 
> 
> This chapter follows Akashi.

Seijuurou sits by Tetsuya’s side, eyes never leaving his small, sleeping form. Aomine is sitting on the other side of the bed, staring at him in shock. Ryouta has dragged Kagami off somewhere, probably to get food. 

“I didn’t know he was pregnant,” Aomine says quietly. “He didn’t tell me.”

Seijuurou doesn’t look at him. He can’t keep his eyes off Tetsuya. He’s waiting; waiting for him to come back. “He’s had a rough time.”

“I know…” Aomine takes a deep breath. “I can’t accept you,” he says. “You stole him from us, more than once. You hurt him and then dumped him-”

“I did not dump him,” Seijuurou firmly interrupts. “He wanted to leave. And I let him.”

Aomine snorts. “I still don’t think you’re what he needs.”

“Let him be the judge of what he needs,” Seijuurou says. He’s tired. He doesn’t want to fight. He just wants Tetsuya back. He finally had him in his arms again, and then he slipped from them just like that. 

The doctor’s hypothesis is that the fetus had been dead for days, and, left unchecked, an infection set in. Upon Tetsuya’s body’s realisation that there was a problem, he’d gone into labor, started hemorrhaging, and then gone into shock, resulting in him finally collapsing. Had his body delayed the reaction any longer, and he could have easily died. Seijuurou feels helpless. He so easily could have lost the love of his life. It was so close. 

Tetsuya has been asleep for hours now, but the doctors assured Seijuurou that he’s stable. It seems he’ll be resting for a long time though. His body has been through hell. 

“I’m going for a walk. Gonna try to find Kagami,” Aomine says. He gets up and walks stiffly out of the room. 

Seijuurou sighs. He leans towards the bed and picks up Tetsuya’s hand. It squeezes back just slightly.

“Tetsuya?” he asks hopefully. 

His wife mumbles something, his brows furrowing. Then he slowly blinks his eyes open. “Where are we?” he asks in a weak voice. 

“In the hospital. You gave me quite a scare,” Seijuurou says. His heart feels lighter now that Tetsuya is awake. Hopefully this is the start of much good news. 

“Is my baby okay?” Tetsuya asks. 

‘My’, not ‘the’, Seijuurou doesn’t miss that at all. “Tetsuya,” he says softly. He strokes his wife’s hair. “We lost it.”

Tetsuya stares at him, unblinking. His expression appears to be a mix of both offense and shock. He finally breaks eye contact, staring ahead instead. 

“Tetsuya,” Seijuurou begins, “I know you didn’t want this baby, but-”

“I did though,” Tetsuya whispers. “I didn’t at first, but I started to think about it. It was nice, the thought of having someone to take care of. To protect.” Tears fall down his cheeks. “And I couldn’t protect them.”

Seijuurou leans over him, hugging him tightly. Tetsuya makes a little choked sob, and it breaks Seijuurou’s heart. “I’m so sorry,” he says. 

“Why did it happen?” Tetsuya asks. His fingertips are digging into Seijuurou’s shoulders painfully, but Seijuurou doesn’t care. He just wants to be there for him. 

“I don’t know. The doctor said stress could have been a factor…”

“This is my fault,” Tetsuya says with a soft hiccup. 

“No, it’s mine. If I hadn’t caused all of this drama in the first place, you wouldn’t have been stressed.”

“If you hadn’t caused this drama, I wouldn’t have been pregnant either.”

Seijuurou pauses. “I’m sorry,” he says again. He can’t fix this. There’s nothing he can do to make this better. 

“Where are the others?” Tetsuya asks. 

“Ryouta went to find snacks I think. He took Kagami with him, then Aomine left to find them.”

“When can I get out of this bed?”

“Not for a while,” Seijuurou says, patting Tetsuya’s hand. “You need to recover first.”

“Where’s your father?” Tetsuya asks. “He’s not coming here, is he?”

“No. He’s still in Kyoto. He doesn’t know you’re in here,” Seijuurou answers. “He never knew you were pregnant.”

“Good,” Tetsuya says. There’s no bitterness to his voice, just a soft sort of sadness. 

“He’s mad at me. He wants me to bring you both back. But I keep telling him, not yet.”

Tetsuya stares at the ceiling pensively. “I appreciate that you let us go. I needed the break.”

“But?”

Tetsuya looks Seijuurou in the eye. “But I want to go home.”

“Where  _ is  _ home?”

“Anywhere, as long as it’s with you.”

Seijuurou leans in, only an inch away from Tetsuya’s face. Tetsuya closes his eyes, giving silent permission, so Seijuurou closes the gap, kissing him gently. He feels Tetsuya’s fingers in his hair, pulling slightly. It’s not hard enough to be uncomfortable; on the contrary, it feels nice. He doesn’t want to let go. When he pulls away, Tetsuya is crying again. Seijuurou can’t stand it. Despite what his wife says, Seijuurou knows this is all his fault. And not just losing the baby, but everything. Everything that has happened this past year. He should let Tetsuya go for real, but he knows that will make both of them miserable. He feels like he’s not good enough, but he doesn’t want to live without Tetsuya anymore. 

“I’m sorry,” he murmurs again. 

Tetsuya covers his mouth with his hand, trying to keep his sobs contained. Seijuurou holds him for a while, until his cries die down and he finally falls asleep once more, too exhausted to remain awake. Seijuurou wants to climb into the bed with him and cuddle him, but he should be giving Tetsuya his space to recover. He can be close to him again when he’s better.

While Tetsuya is sleeping, Seijuurou gets up and goes into the hall. He finds Ryouta, Aomine, and Kagami on a few chairs outside the door. 

“How is he?” Ryouta asks. He’s gently rocking Kaeru against his chest, and the baby appears to be asleep. 

“He woke up,” Seijuurou relays. “But he’s sleeping again now.”

Ryouta sighs. “Poor Tetsucchi. He must be devastated.”

“He said he changed his mind,” Seijuurou murmurs. 

“About the baby?” Ryouta clarifies. “Yes, I suppose he did. He was always touching his stomach affectionately.”

“I never noticed that,” Kagami says, his eyes wide. 

“Only when you two weren’t around,” Ryouta adds. He continues, “But he was finally starting to accept it. He was going to tell you two actually, when this happened…”

“Why didn’t he tell us before?” Kagami asks. “He’s been with us for three months.”

“He was worried, I think,” Ryouta says. “That you’d look at him differently.”

“We’d never,” Aomine responds fervently. “He’s our best friend. He’s just Tetsu to us. He always will be.”

“I know. But he was stressed,” Ryouta sighs. “Don’t judge him too hard.” He glances back up at Seijuurou. “Seicchi, let’s go get some coffee. Walking always helps calm Kaeru anyway.”

“Sure,” Seijuurou nods. “Do you want me to hold him?” 

“No, it’s okay. I have strong arms,” Ryouta smiles. 

They walk down the hall, passing busy doctors and nurses as they rush about doing their jobs. Seijuurou is just following Ryouta, and his wife leads them to a food court. 

“They actually seem to have some good options here,” Ryouta comments. “I just want coffee though.”

“When did you start drinking coffee?” Seijuurou asks. 

“You’ve been out of the loop for a while then, Seicchi. It was months ago. I was still at the mansion.”

Seijuurou frowns. He really  _ has  _ been out of the loop. He’d been left to only wait and watch in his mind when his other personality had control. It’s strange how it works, he thinks. He has memories of that time, but they don’t feel like his. He feels as if he watched a movie of the events. It doesn’t feel like he was there. He can also still feel his other self stewing in his brain. He’s still there. He hasn’t left. Seijuurou hopes he doesn’t come back out. He’s confident he can maintain control now, now that he’s better at managing his emotions, but it  _ is  _ slightly concerning just knowing he’s there. 

He follows Ryouta in a sort of daze as he orders a coffee and goes to sit down at a table. 

“Do you want anything?” Ryouta asks. “I haven’t seen you eat since you got here.”

“I’m fine,” Seijuurou insists. He’s not hungry. He feels kind of queasy, knowing how Tetsuya is broken back in his room. 

Ryouta frowns at him. “Well, make sure to have something soon. It’s been twelve hours since we came here. You need to eat at some point.”

“I know,” Seijuurou says, giving Ryouta a smile. “I’m fine though.”

“Okay, okay!” A waiter comes and sets a cup of coffee down in front of him. He takes a sip and then sighs. 

“What?” Seijuurou asks. 

“Things are so… messed up.”

“I noticed…”

At least he's not directly blaming Seijuurou. It would be well deserved if he was though. 

Ryouta sighs again, then continues drinking his coffee. Kaeru remains asleep the whole time, even when they get up and return to Tetsuya’s room. Ryouta remains outside with Aomine and Kagami, though Seijuurou goes back in. Tetsuya is still sleeping, and his face is slightly contorted in a frown as he rests. Seijuurou hopes he’s not having nightmares. 

They wait for a while, occasionally nurses come and check on Tetsuya’s blood pressure and vitals. He wakes up after a while. 

“How was your rest?” Seijuurou asks. He doesn't want to ask Tetsuya questions like “how are you feeling?”, because he knows the answer already: horrible. 

“It was fine…” Tetsuya murmurs. 

“You seemed unsettled,” Seijuurou says. 

“I think I was dreaming,” Tetsuya replies. “I don’t really remember what happened, just that it made me feel bad. I’m not sure I want to remember it anyway.”

“I’m sorry…” Seijuurou says, for what’s probably the thousandth time today. He wishes it would actually help. 

Tetsuya nods. “I want to go home.”

“I know.” Seijuurou squeezes his hand, and Tetsuya squeezes back. “You’ll be out soon.”

“Hey, Tetsucchi,” Ryouta’s voice says. They glance up to see him, Aomine, and Kagami coming into the room. “How are you feeling?”

Tetsuya shrugs. He doesn’t have an answer they’d like to hear. 

“We’ll stay if you want us to, but we were thinking of heading home for the night,” Ryouta continues. “You have company anyway, and Kaeru needs to sleep. But if you want us to stay we can!”

“It’s okay, you can go, I don’t mind,” Tetsuya says.    
Ryouta leans down to hug him, kissing his cheek. “Kay, get some rest.” He looks at Seijuurou. “Look after my baby.”

Seijuurou smiles. “Will do.”

Aomine and Kagami then take turns hugging Tetsuya. 

“We’ll be back in the morning,” Kagami murmurs. 

“Rest up, Tetsu,” Aomine adds. 

When they’ve left, Tetsuya turns to Seijuurou, looking him in the eye and saying, “Don’t leave me too.”

It breaks his heart again. He wonders if Tetsuya refers to his friends who just left, or if he means someone else too. “I won’t, don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere. I’m not leaving you anymore.” He leans over and kisses Tetsuya’s forehead. “Get some sleep. I’ll be here.”

Tetsuya nods and settles down in the hospital bed. “Can you get in with me?” he asks quietly.

Seijuurou smiles. “I don’t think the doctors would like that very much.”

“I don’t care. They didn’t help, so they don’t get any say on who is or isn’t in my bed.”

Seijuurou wants to say that they  _ did  _ help, that without their assistance it’s entirely possible Tetsuya would have died, but he decides that’s not what his wife needs to hear. “Okay,” he says instead. 

Tetsuya scoots over a little, giving him room to climb in next to him. He settles against Seijuurou’s chest comfortably, and they fit together like puzzle pieces. After so long apart, it feels right, Seijuurou thinks. He never wants them to be separated again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Akashi is so hard to write sometimes. I write him differently in every story. Even though to a degree I do understand and even relate to him, he's almost impossible to write in a way that satisfies me. He's complex. So don't consider the way I write him to be my official opinion of him. I also often change him to fit the story I'm trying to write. For example, his multiple personalities. The way I've described it here doesn't really fit with the canon we've been shown. It's just how I wrote it for this story, and I think it works for that, but again, Akashi is really complex. I really do write him differently every time. And I never know what to expect from him. I write him all the time, but even I don't know what he's going to do next. If you've ever tried to write Akashi, you'll probably get what I mean. 
> 
> Another thing other writers might understand that ties into the above, is characters doing their own thing. I'll have dialogue or actions plotted out in my mind, and then the character will do something completely different! And I can't even be mad because they did what THEY would have done, not what I wanted them to do. It's weird how it works. It's kind of annoying sometimes though. Just do what I want!!! You're ruining the whole story!!!!
> 
> About the miscarriage... Apologies. I am evil. BUT THIS TIME IT WASN'T MY IDEA. I told my best friend my plans and she said "u kno what would be gr8. if he lost the baby" and I was honestly horrified I said "No no I can't do that. That's TOO evil there's been enough pain in this story it needs to start improving" and then I ended up doing it anyway. And I think it works, but it's so sad ugh. So, take comfort in the fact that I didn't want this to happen, and it only happened because I gave in to peer pressure :P
> 
> Btw I might take a little break from this story. I want to work on some other unfinished projects. And when I say a break I probably mean like three days because I always come back to this damn thing. But I have some other stuff I've been neglecting so I want to try to do those. I got a bunch of requests a while back that I haven't done as well and I feel really bad for avoiding them. And then I have literally about 50 unfinished ideas, some that I've started writing and some that are just notes I've jotted down. ACK there's too much to do and not enough me!!!


	42. {42}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took me a while! I was kinda having a bad time in general and then I also didn't know what to write next. 
> 
> Content: sexual stuff (with lots of consent this time), UHH KNOTTING THIS IS OMEGAVERSE REMEMBER >_>, talking about babies
> 
> I hope this chapter is ok.

Kuroko sleeps almost the whole car drive home. He’s tired, mentally and physically. He’d insisted on getting out of hospital when the doctors told him he was getting better. Since they were really only keeping him as a recommendation, they couldn’t stop him from leaving. So he’d gone home and packed up all his stuff with Ryouta. He’s not just returning with Seijuurou and his sister wife though. Aomine and Kagami are also with them, driving back to the mansion together. Upon telling his old friends he was leaving, they insisted they didn’t want to split up again. Ryouta had suggested they come along with them, and they’d agreed. So, Seijuurou arranged for a larger car for them that they’d all fit into. 

Currently Kuroko rests on Seijuurou’s shoulder in the back, Ryouta on his other side with Kaeru, and Aomine and Kagami in the middle seats. His sleep on the way home is dreamless, which he’s thankful for. It seemed every time he closed his eyes in the hospital he was having nightmares. 

“Tetsuya,” his husband’s sweet voice murmurs. 

“Hmm?”

“We’re home.”

Kuroko blinks his eyes open to see Seijuurou smiling at him. He opens the door and helps Kuroko out. He then goes to open Ryouta’s door, but Kagami has beat him to it. Seijuurou smiles at them knowingly, then returns to Kuroko. 

“I’m tired,” Kuroko mumbles. 

“I’ll take you to your room so you can rest,” Seijuurou says. “Aomine-kun, Kagami-kun, please follow us.”

Ryouta smiles. “You’ll get to see where Tetsucchi has lived.”

“This place is amazing,” Kagami says with wide, awe-filled eyes as they walk into the mansion. 

“Just how rich are you?” Aomine asks. 

Ryouta slaps his arm. “That’s rude to ask, Aominecchi.”

“Sheesh.”

Kuroko can’t help but smile. He thinks Aomine and Kagami would make the perfect partners for his sister wife. Maybe that’s what his husband already picked up on earlier. 

Seijuurou takes them in the elevator to the wives’ floor, and Kuroko is washed with a sense of nostalgia. It’s been months now since he was here, and he actually missed it. He missed the doors carved with flowers, the blue wallpaper and green carpet, famous paintings lining the walls. He immediately goes towards his door, opening it and stepping inside. It’s exactly how he left it. His vanilla candle is still sitting on the bedside table, and there’s the book he hadn’t finished reading as well. He bounds forward and jumps onto the bed, falling back comfortably. He’s home. 

“Geez, Tetsu, you didn’t do that when you came home to us,” Aomine mumbles. “I’m offended.”

Kuroko smiles at him. “Sorry.”

Aomine and Kagami smile back. “It’s fine,” Kagami says. “You’re happier here, right?” 

“Aominecchi, Kagamicchi, let me show you my room!” Ryouta demands, tugging on Aomine’s sleeve.

“S-Sure,” Kagami stammers. 

Kuroko eyes him in amusement. Maybe something is already happening there after all. His two old friends follow Ryouta out, leaving Kuroko with his husband. Seijuurou sits down on the bed and strokes Kuroko’s cheek.

“How do you feel?” he asks softly.

“Good,” Kuroko answers, smiling. “I’m home now.”

Seijuurou leans down and kisses him. “I’m glad to have you back. I missed you so much.”

“Me too,” Kuroko murmurs. He sits up then, chewing on his lip. “Um, Sei.”

“Yes, Tetsuya?”

“I-” He pauses. “I want to have another baby.”

Seijuurou blinks at him. “Tetsuya, it’s too soon-”

“No,” Kuroko interrupts. “I want one. You started this, so at least give me what I want.”

“That’s cruel to pull that card. I thought we’d gotten past that,” Seijuurou says, but he’s smiling. “Are you really sure about this?”

Kuroko nods. “Yes. I had time to think about it. When I was pregnant, I don’t know, it was a nice feeling. Not the throwing up and the feeling sick and dizzy, but the thought of having a little person to look after. Someone we both created.” He takes a determined breath. “But this time I want to do it right.”

Seijuurou nods. “Yes. Is it terrible of me to say maybe that’s why we lost it? Because it happened the wrong way?”

Kuroko looks down. “No. I was actually thinking the same thing. But now we have the chance to do it properly. And I want to.”

Seijuurou leans in and kisses him gently, barely grazing Kuroko’s lips. “Okay,” he murmurs. “Let’s have a baby then.”

Kuroko smiles, tears forming in his eyes from happiness. “Too bad we can’t start right now.”

Seijuurou laughs. “You know, heat accelerants exist,” he says slowly. Kuroko’s eyes start to widen and he interrupts, “but I don’t think we should use them. Your body still needs to recover from the miscarriage.”

Kuroko pouts. “I guess so…” 

Seijuurou strokes his hair. “Don’t worry, it’ll happen on its own soon enough.”

“What if it doesn’t?” Kuroko asks nervously. “Ryouta still hasn’t had a heat, and it’s been five months since he gave birth.”

“That’s because he’s still breastfeeding,” Seijuurou answers. “You had a miscarriage, it’s different to giving birth to a live baby that your body is still caring for.”

Kuroko sighs. “So I’ll get heats straight away?”

“You should. Give it a few weeks,” Seijuurou says. “You’ll be back to normal in no time.”

“How do you know all this?” Kuroko asks.

“I did some research when Ryouta became pregnant,” Seijuurou replies. Kuroko yawns then, moving forward and pressing into his husband’s chest. “Are you tired still?”

“Mm,” Kuroko mumbles, closing his eyes.

“Well, the others should be busy for a while I think,” Seijuurou replies, “so you can rest. I’ll stay with you.”

“Good, don’t leave me again.”

“I won’t. I promise, I’m not going anywhere ever again.”

Kuroko smiles a little. He’s glad to be back. He never wants them to be apart again. 

* * *

Kuroko wakes the next morning, Seijuurou in his arms. He must have been tired, having slept from early evening all the way till light the next day. He sits up, detangling himself from his husband. Seijuurou stirs when he moves, and sits up as well and yawns.

“Don’t yawn,” Kuroko says, yawning himself. “You’re making it spread.”

Seijuurou grins and kisses him so suddenly that they both fall over. Kuroko starts giggling as Seijuurou presses kisses all over his face and neck. 

“What’s up with you?” he asks. “That tickles!”

Seijuurou pushes his nose into Kuroko’s hair and takes a deep breath. “Just happy you’re back.”

Kuroko smiles at him, patting the back of his head. “Me too.”

Seijuurou starts kissing him again, though Kuroko isn’t opposed, and he kisses back just as eagerly. He pushes on Seijuurou’s shoulder to roll them over, climbing on top of him and kissing him again. 

“Aah- Tetsuya, stop for a moment.”

Kuroko sits back, frowning. “What?”

“We’re going to have a problem in a minute if you keep kissing me like that.”

“You’re the one who started this,” Kuroko says. “Don’t interrupt me.”

Seijuurou blinks at him. “Are you telling me you don’t want to stop?”

Kuroko blushes a little. “It’s been a long time since we were together properly.”

His husband pulls him down into another kiss. “What do you want to do?”

Kuroko blushes deeper. “I, um. We can… do  _ it _ .”

Seijuurou grins. “‘It’? Are you saying you want to have sex?”

“Yes,” Kuroko mumbles into Seijuurou’s neck. 

His husband laughs gently, then pushes him back. “Wait here.”

Kuroko sits back in the bed as Seijuurou gets up. He watches him go into the bathroom, then come out a few seconds later with a bottle. One of Kouki’s expensive hand creams.

“Uh, I don’t exactly have supplies here,” he says in explanation. “This will do for now. Remind me to be better prepared.” He climbs over Kuroko and kisses him again. “Are you sure about this, Tetsuya?” he asks. 

“Yes. I want this,” Kuroko answers. He tugs at Seijuurou’s belt impatiently. 

His husband gets the idea, and starts pulling his clothes off. Kuroko meanwhile shimmies off his own pants and throws his shirt to the floor. Seijuurou leans down and connects his lips to Kuroko’s collarbone, nibbling on it gently as his hands roam across Kuroko’s body. Kuroko shivers when his hand strokes across the front of his underwear. The last time he had sex was April, and it wasn’t even really sex since he didn’t want it. Thoughts of desire also hadn’t crossed his mind while he’d been with Aomine and Kagami again. He’d only want to sleep with Seijuurou anyway, sex with his old friends would have been weird at this point. Plus he’d felt too sick with the pregnancy and then miscarriage to even consider it. He’s anxious to do this again. Properly this time. 

“Can I?” Seijuurou asks, his fingers playing with the band of Kuroko’s underwear. Kuroko nods eagerly. Seijuurou slides them down his legs, then leans down to kiss his stomach. “You’re beautiful, Tetsuya. I’ve missed your body.”

Kuroko blushes. “I’ve missed yours too.”

Seijuurou smiles. He picks up the bottle of hand cream. “May I use this?”

Kuroko nods again. Seijuurou pats his hip, then opens the bottle. He squeezes out some of the cream and lowers his hand between Kuroko’s legs. He’s gentle of course, Kuroko had expected that. He seems almost hesitant to touch him even. 

“I’m not going to break, you know,” Kuroko says. 

“I know. I just don’t want to hurt you again.”

His heart clenches with affection. He grabs Seijuurou’s arm and pulls him down into another sweet kiss. “It’s fine. I’m okay,” he reassures. 

Seijuurou smiles against his lips. “I know. But I still don’t want to hurt you.”

He takes his time, until Kuroko is squirming with impatience. “Sei,  _ please  _ already.”

He smiles. “You’re sure?”

“Yes! Do it!”

Seijuurou kisses him tenderly again. “Okay. Tell me if it hurts.”

Kuroko is quite sure that even if it hurts, he’s not going to voice it. He doesn’t want Seijuurou to stop. His husband lifts his hips a little, and gently starts to ease into him. Kuroko finds it barely hurts at all with the amount of preparation. He rolls his hips in an attempt to get his husband to move faster. Seijuurou groans softly, then he carefully eases his hips back, then presses forward just as gently. He’s slow and gentle, keeping his eyes locked with Kuroko’s the whole time. 

“I’m fine, Sei,” Kuroko insists. “You can be rougher.”

Seijuurou appears hesitant. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m not made of glass.”

He kisses Kuroko again, then snaps his hips forward a little harsher. Kuroko moans as the pleasure deep within him blooms. A little more confident that Kuroko is really fine, Seijuurou picks up the pace. Kuroko moans delicately with each thrust against his spot, scraping his nails across Seijuurou’s back. 

“You’re going to leave marks,” Seijuurou comments breathlessly. He doesn’t seem concerned at all though with the way he’s smiling. 

“You love it- aah!”

Seijuurou grins. “I do.” He kisses Kuroko harder, pressing their tongues together. 

“Aah- Sei, coming-” Kuroko gasps. 

“Together,” Seijuurou murmurs. 

He wraps his hand around Kuroko’s length, stroking him quickly in time with his thrusts. Kuroko whimpers softly when he comes. He can feel Seijuurou’s knot swelling, and he frowns at the discomfort. Seijuurou carefully rolls them over, but it still jostles Kuroko and makes him wince.

“Sorry,” Seijuurou says. 

“It’s fine. It’s just a little uncomfortable.”

“I’m sorry… It’ll stop soon.”

Kuroko nods and kisses him again. “I’m happy,” he says, smiling. “Thank you.”

Seijuurou smiles back timidly. “I love you, Tetsuya.”

Kuroko nuzzles down against his chest. “I love you too, Sei.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit. This is terrible. idk why y'all like this story so much, it's not very good. 
> 
> Ur probably getting smut in the next chapter too but expect it to be just as crap as this one was.


	43. {43}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry for not updating much lately. Between the fact that I've eaten only 2 days worth of food in 2 weeks, and my friend being suicidal, I've been having a really rotten time. I just haven't felt like writing, or doing anything really. The past 2 weeks have been a total blur, I don't even know what I've been doing. Nothing, really. 
> 
> The story is now coming to an end. There might only be a couple more chapters. I'm still unsure how I'm going to wrap everything up. We'll see. 
> 
> This chapter is terrible and I struggled to write the sex stuff so I hope you don't find it too offensive. 
> 
> Stuff in this chapter: Aokuro, sexual content, heat stuff, umm idk probably other things but idk

Kuroko is going crazy. It’s been three weeks, and he still hasn’t had a heat. Every time he feels slightly warm he thinks  _ maybe _ . But no, he’s still utterly normal. Both Ryouta and Seijuurou insist his heats will come back soon on their own, but Kuroko is impatient. And it’s not even that he wants to have sex, because he’s been managing  _ that  _ fine without heats. In fact, Ryouta made a comment about them needing to be careful not to break the bed with how often he hears them screaming. Aomine and Kagami have been incredibly awkward about the subject. Seijuurou has the whole ‘family’ gather for all their meals at a table he had set up in the sitting room, and Kuroko’s two alpha friends have avoided eye contact with him every time. 

He’s in the library at the moment. He left Seijuurou in his room to go find a new book to read, and he’s perusing the never-ending shelves when he notices a shadow looming over him.

“Aomine-kun,” he says when he looks over his shoulder. “What are you doing?” Aomine is incredibly close, and he puts his hands on Kuroko’s shoulders and gently turns him around. “What are you doing?” Kuroko repeats, softer.

Aomine leans down and kisses him. Kuroko stands stiffly in shock, but he doesn’t push Aomine away. His old friend kisses him harder, pushing his tongue into Kuroko’s mouth. It’s weird, but it’s still somehow familiar. He tastes the same as Kuroko remembers.

He pulls away after a minute. “Just wanted to see if it brought anything back,” he says.

“Did it?” Kuroko asks.

“Yeah.” Aomine steps back. “Sorry, would that piss your husband off if he knew?”

“Maybe… I think that he wouldn’t stop me if I wanted to do it again though,” Kuroko murmurs. 

“Did it bring anything back for  _ you _ ?” Aomine asks.

Kuroko frowns. “Yes,” he admits. 

“Do you want it to?”

Kuroko stares up at his friend. “No.”

“I figured. Sorry, Tetsu. I wasn’t thinking. Sorry to have bothered you.” 

He starts to turn around when Kuroko grabs his wrist. “Wait.”

Aomine glances at where they’re touching, then back at Kuroko’s face. “What is it?”

Kuroko pulls him down, sliding a hand around to the back of Aomine’s neck as he kisses him again. He moves back after a few seconds.

“This is the last time,” Kuroko says. “A goodbye kiss, I guess.”

Aomine smiles. “Yeah.” He doesn’t move away though. He keeps staring. 

“What?” Kuroko asks.

“Have you always smelled this good, Tetsu?”

“Um? I don’t know?” 

Aomine leans into him again, nuzzling his nose into Kuroko’s neck. “You smell really good. Just like I remember.”

Kuroko feels weird. Aomine’s hands are on his body, grabbing him and rubbing him. He feels kind of weak. 

“Aomine-kun, stop,” he says. His body isn’t letting him fight back though, he can’t seem to push Aomine away. 

“Tetsuya.”

Aomine pulls away from him at the new voice. Kuroko slumps against the bookcase, trying not to fall over. 

“Sei-kun,” he murmurs. His face feels warm, and his thighs feel kind of damp. 

“I’ll go,” Aomine says. He walks out of the library aisle, leaving Seijuurou to stare at Kuroko.

“What was he doing?” he asks. 

“I- I think-”

“Tetsuya,” Seijuurou says. He steps forward just as Kuroko’s knees buckle, catching him. “Are you in heat?”

“Did he do that?” Kuroko asks, panicked. “Did Aomine-kun make me go into heat?”

“No one can  _ make  _ you go into heat,” Seijuurou says. “It’s likely he detected it early with his alpha senses and was drawn to you.”

Panting, Kuroko goes weak in his husband’s arms. “It was really weird,” he mumbles. “I-I’m sorry, he just did it, I didn’t know what to do.”

“It’s fine. I’m not mad. I’m the one who stole you from him, I’m not surprised if there’s still feelings there,” Seijuurou says. He scoops Kuroko up, holding him bridal style. 

“I- I don’t want to be with him anymore though,” Kuroko struggles to say. His throat is closing up as his mind goes foggy. He feels more slick drip down his thighs. 

“I know. I’m not upset,” Seijuurou insists. He starts carrying Kuroko out of the room. 

“What are you doing?”

“Taking you to your bed, you need to rest.”

“But- heat?”

Seijuurou smiles. “Yes, you’re in heat. What of it?”

“Baby?”

“Have you lost the ability to speak full sentences?” Seijuurou asks, amused. 

Kuroko nods, his head lolling to the side a little. 

Seijuurou grins wider. “Tetsuya, I just caught you with another alpha’s face pressed into your neck while you’re in heat. I don’t exactly trust your ability to make well thought out choices right now.”

“But- Didn’t want it! You agreed!” 

“To having a baby? I did, but I don’t want to do that before I’m sure you’ve worked yourself out.”

He lays Kuroko on the bed and tries to pull away, but Kuroko tugs him down on top of him. Seijuurou makes a little yelp of surprise as he falls. Kuroko usually isn’t this strong. 

“Fuck me already!” he demands. 

His husband laughs. “No.”

Kuroko growls in frustration. “He caught me by surprise, but I don’t want him. Or Kagami-kun. I was just saying goodbye. I want only  _ you _ .”

“I don’t want you to regret anything,” Seijuurou says. 

“Sei, I’m not going to regret it! You haven’t had any second thoughts about doing me in the past month.”

“That’s because I haven’t found you cozying up to your ex these three weeks.”

“Forget about that, it didn’t mean anything to me. Just do me already!” 

Kuroko pushes his husband down and climbs on top of him. Seijuurou doesn’t seem upset at all, just amused. Kuroko kisses him, his hands going to Seijuurou’s shirt buttons, starting to pop them open. 

“Tetsuya,” Seijuurou says. 

“Shut up. If you’re not convinced, I’ll convince you,” Kuroko growls. 

His husband smiles. “Okay. Go on then.”

“Honestly, how are you so fine?” Kuroko mutters. “I’m in  _ heat  _ and you’re just  _ lying there _ …”

Seijuurou flips him over suddenly, pinning his wrists above his head. “I’m most definitely not fine. Is this better for you?”

Kuroko licks his lips, turned on even further by his husband’s display of strength. “Only if you’re going to fuck me.”

Seijuurou grins. “You’re not usually like this. Fine, fine, you’ve convinced me. You’re sure you’re not going to regret this?”

“How many times have I told you I want this baby?” Kuroko asks. 

“Okay, I get it. Sorry,” Seijuurou says. 

He kisses Kuroko, still keeping his wrists pinned above his head. Kuroko squirms in his hold, wanting to touch him back. He lets Kuroko go to start undressing him, and Kuroko’s hands are immediately on his husband. 

“You sure are eager,” Seijuurou comments.

“Don’t make fun of me…” Kuroko mumbles. 

Seijuurou smiles. “I’m not. I’m enjoying this. It’s cute when you get like this.” 

Kuroko pouts, which makes his husband laugh softly. Seijuurou quickly undresses the both of them, then returns to kissing Kuroko. 

Finally he pulls back and says, “This will work better if you’re on your knees.”

“O-Oh, right.” He’d prefer they were facing each other, but Kuroko also wants a baby more than anything. He pauses. “How did you do it with Ryouta?”

Seijuurou stares at him. “Do you seriously want to know?” Kuroko bites his lip and nods. “We weren’t facing each other. I thought that would be too personal,” Seijuurou answers. 

Kuroko feels relieved. The thought of his husband looking into someone else’s eyes like this bothers him. He’s too possessive. 

“Are you okay?”

Kuroko realises he’s been silent. “Yes,” he replies with a nod.

“Can I turn you over then?”

Kuroko nods again. Seijuurou kisses him sweetly, then helps him turn over. He gently pushes Kuroko’s back down, so his shoulders are pressed into the mattress. 

“It’ll work better this way,” he explains. 

Kuroko chews on his lip, wondering what his husband will do now. He gasps when he feels Seijuurou’s tongue. “ _Aah!_ _Sei!_ ” he moans. 

Seijuurou squeezes his backside, gently pushing his cheeks apart. His tongue presses inside, and Kuroko squeaks in both surprise and pleasure. Seijuurou licks deeper, making embarrassing slurping noises that have Kuroko’s face burning. When he finally pulls away, Kuroko’s thighs are shaking. He strokes Kuroko’s back comfortingly. 

“Ready?” he asks. 

“Mmhm,” Kuroko mumbles, nodding. 

He feels strong hands on his hips, then Seijuurou is carefully pushing into him. He moans loudly as he’s filled, not bothering to try to keep quiet; he doesn’t care if the others hear, not that he has in the past. Seijuurou leans over his back and kisses his cheek, then he starts to move. Although Kuroko has managed to convince him to be more rough since coming back, Seijuurou is gentle again this time. He tips Kuroko’s chin up and kisses him over his shoulder, wanting to be close even when not facing each other. Kuroko can feel him, sliding in and out and pressing against his sweet spot over and over, turning his brain to mush. But he’s still in heat, and he needs more than just this. 

“Sei,” he croaks weakly. “Harder, please.”

Seijuurou chuckles softly, his voice just slightly strained. “I don’t want to hurt you,” he says.

“ _ Please _ ,” Kuroko whispers. 

He squeezes around his husband, making him growl. He does it again, and Seijuurou slams into him a little harder. Kuroko moans loudly, fingers curling and gripping the sheets beneath him tightly. He squeezes again, causing Seijuurou to growl and fuck him just a little harder once more.

“ _ Please _ ,” Kuroko moans again. 

Seijuurou makes a murmur of assent, then pushes in just a little harder, jerking Kuroko along the mattress. He speeds up, giving Kuroko exactly what he wants, and making the omega moan and whine. 

“You sound so beautiful,” Seijuurou breathes. “I could listen to you like this for days.”

Kuroko blushes lightly from the compliment, and responds by squeezing around his husband again, earning himself another moan from the alpha. He squeaks when he feels Seijuurou’s hand slide around his hip to start stroking him, and he comes almost instantly, hot liquid splashing onto the sheets. His thighs and knees are shaking again, and he feels himself grow harder once more as Seijuurou continues fucking him. He whimpers in need, feeling overly sensitive and weak. Seijuurou starts stroking him again, his now wet hand assisting to make the action easier. Kuroko whines pitifully, coming so hard again that it’s almost painful, also squeezing tightly around his husband. Seijuurou groans softly, slamming into him hard again and making Kuroko moan. Kuroko can feel his knot swelling, so he knows Seijuurou must have come too. It hurts a little, but with his heat dulling the pain, it’s not too uncomfortable. Seijuurou carefully rolls them over so they’re on their sides and lying down, still pressed together. Kuroko is still shaking, and Seijuurou runs his hand up and down Kuroko’s thigh to calm his body. 

“You did good,” he murmurs. 

Kuroko takes a deep breath, trying to relax his pounding heart. He looks over his shoulder, and Seijuurou leans down and kisses him again. 

“I love you,” Kuroko says. 

“I love you too,” Seijuurou replies, smiling. 

“Do you think we’ll have a baby?”

“From this? Hopefully. You got pregnant straight away last time, so I don’t see why now would be any different.”

Kuroko hums. “True. We’ll have to see…”

Seijuurou kisses the top of his head. “Just sleep for now, we can worry about the rest later.”

Kuroko hums in agreement again, burying his nose deeper into the pillows. “I’m glad we’re back,” he mumbles. 

He feels Seijuurou squeeze his shoulders in an embrace as he slips off into sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so tired.


	44. {44}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THERE WERE SOME ISSUES WITH GOOGLE DOCS FOR THIS CHAPTER SO PLS PLS LET ME KNOW IF YOU FIND ANY ERRORS (I've checked it once but I am tired and may have missed things). 
> 
> A longer chapter again! Yaaaaaay. 
> 
> I hope you are all doing better than I am.

Kuroko wakes up to the cries of a baby. His brows twitch and he tries to ignore it; usually Ryouta deals with Kaeru quickly. But today the crying doesn't cease. His heat ended a couple of days ago, and he’s been taking the time since then to rest.  

The baby cries begin to grow louder until the door opens. 

“Seicchi! Seicchi! Something is wrong!” Ryouta’s panicked voice says.

Kuroko doesn't even care to remind him he's not meant to come in without being invited. He sits up as Ryouta crosses over to the bed, screaming child in hand. 

“What's wrong?” Seijuurou asks. 

“Nothing's coming out!” Ryouta wails. He seems hysterical, his chest rising and falling at an alarming rate. 

“You mean you can't feed him?” Seijuurou clarifies. 

“Yes! It's just not happening and I don't know what to do! This isn't meant to happen!”

Seijuurou frowns. “Do you want me to get my father?”

“Yes, yes just do something,” Ryouta begs. “He won't settle.”

Seijuurou slides out of bed and gets dressed. Ryouta sits on his side of the bed and tries to shush Kaeru, but it proves useless; the baby just won't stop crying. Seijuurou returns within a few minutes with his father, followed by an attendant holding a baby bottle. Ryouta eyes it nervously. 

“What's wrong with me?” he asks pitifully. 

“Nothing, pet, sometimes just happens. Milk production stops all the time, especially with male omegas,” Masaomi says gently. “It's not out of the ordinary at all.”

Ryouta frowns. “But-”

“Now, now, we'll just have to bottle feed him from now on. Nothing to worry about. Come on, I’ll take you next door and help you.”

Ryouta seems at a loss. He clearly doesn't like the idea of bottle feeding, but Kaeru is still screaming, so he gives in. He leaves with Masaomi and the attendant. 

“That's weird, isn't it?” Kuroko asks quietly. “You're not supposed to stop producing milk unless you stop breastfeeding for a while, and he was doing it just yesterday.”

Seijuurou nods. “It  _ is  _ odd, but- you're not suggesting this is unnatural, are you?”

Kuroko purses his lips. “I don't know. I don't know why it would be. What reason would anyone have for stopping him from breastfeeding?”

“I don't know… But my father has done crazier things in the past,” Seijuurou says. “But I really don't know. I can’t see how it would affect either of them negatively, aside from maybe affecting Ryouta psychologically. My father isn’t so crazy to hurt them in my presence.”

Kuroko wonders if Masaomi is up to something. He’s still unsure about what happened to Reo, if it really  _ was  _ Seijuurou who had him killed somehow, or if it was just his father. Reo had been delirious, maybe he didn’t know what he was saying, and maybe Kuroko was just seeing things where there was nothing. He’s just not sure. But he’d believe that Masaomi would do it, and that he’d do something to Kaeru. He’ll just have to keep an eye on his friend. 

“You know,” Seijuurou says, changing the subject, “your friends tried to get in here during your heat.”

Kuroko blinks. “What?”

“Well, smelling you in the midst of a heat obviously brought back some feelings for them. I already knew Aomine-kun was feeling nostalgic, but both of them tried to enter the room during the last few days.”

“Seriously?” Kuroko says. He supposes he shouldn’t be surprised. Both his friends were always particularly weak to him when he was in a heat. To suddenly smell him like that again must have been tempting. “What did you say to them?”

“Well I kept the door locked, and they had enough sense not to break it down,” Seijuurou answers. “I believe Ryouta dealt with them.”

“I- I should talk to them,” Kuroko says. He moves to stand up, then pauses. “Is that okay?”

Seijuurou smiles. “It’s fine, Tetsuya. I’m not going to stop you from talking to them. We saw where that got me.”

Kuroko winces at the painful memories. “Right. I’ll be back in a minute.”

He steps out into the hall, having the idea of going to visit his friends next door, and he gasps when he sees that someone is waiting for him. 

“Tetsuya,” Masaomi says. “I’ve been meaning to have a chat with you.”

Kuroko stares at the floor and doesn't say anything. 

“Come with me for a moment,” Masaomi continues. 

He puts a hand on Kuroko's shoulder and leads him into the sitting room. He sits down at the table set up, and gestures to a seat across from him. Kuroko sits down too. 

“It pleases me that you came back. I had thought perhaps my son was finally toughening up, but he seems back to his old ways now. Still, he did bring you both back,” Masaomi says. “I was wondering if I was going to have to drag you two back myself.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Kuroko asks cautiously. 

“You're an investment. If it were up to me, we would have found other uses for you, we have Ryouta to mother children after all.” Kuroko glares at the table. Masaomi continues, “But my son insisted you return to this floor. He is  _ so  _ enamoured with you. I’ve never seen him like this. Yet you're still not doing your duty.”

“Is that what this is about? You just want more babies?” 

Masaomi stares blankly. “I'm looking for a cure. If I don't find one, I will lose my son in four years.”

Kuroko feels bile in his throat. He doesn't need to be reminded of that fact. “So you want more test subjects?”

“I may be onto something,” Masaomi says. “But it would be good to have more ‘test subjects’ as you say, yes.”

“If anything happens to Kaeru, I’ll kill you,” Kuroko warns. 

Masaomi smiles. “Why, that’s rather extreme. I wish you luck with that. But there's no need. No harm will come to the child. Well, that's all I had to say. I'll see myself out.”

He stands and leaves the room. Kuroko feels kind of sick. He waits a minute, then gets up and leaves as well, heading for Ryouta’s room. Kagami is holding Kaeru and rocking him when Kuroko enters, while Ryouta sits with Aomine on the bed. 

“Tetsucchi, I don't understand. This isn't meant to happen!”

“Well, it's meant to be common with male omegas, right?” Kuroko says. 

“None of my books ever said this was possible!”

“Books don't tell you everything,” Kagami says. 

Ryouta pouts, dissatisfied with the lack of support. 

“It's not that bad, is it?” Aomine asks. 

Ryouta’s bottom lip starts quivering. “I just- I wanted to take care of him myself.”

Kuroko approaches the bed, standing at the foot of it and holding onto one of the posts. “Um, Ryouta, I don’t suppose you’d want to go visit Sei for a moment?”

Ryouta blinks at him. “Oh. Okay, sure. Kagamicchi, I’ll take him again,” he says, standing up and holding out his arms. Kagami hands him Kaeru, then he leaves. 

“I’m guessing you want to talk to us?” Kagami says, going to sit next to Aomine on the bed. 

“Correct,” Kuroko nods.

Aomine seems a little different. Not awkward, not shy, but definitely avoiding. He’s not looking at Kuroko, where Kagami is staring him straight in the eye. 

“Sei told me you both tried to get into my room,” Kuroko says, wanting to get straight to the point.

Kagami blushes. “Uh, yeah. Um, sorry, about that. Guess we’re not quite ready to let you be with someone else. Please forgive us.”

“It’s not a problem, Kagami-kun. I just wanted to talk,” Kuroko says. He looks at Aomine, who is still staring at the bedcovers. “Aomine-kun?” Aomine grunts. “Do you have anything to say?”

He looks up. “I don’t want you being with him, Tetsu.”

Kuroko feels his heart clench painfully. He feels a little like he’s being torn two ways. After a lifetime of being with these two, he doesn’t just want to abandon them, but at the same time, he loves Seijuurou so much. And he can’t have both. 

“I’m sorry, Aomine-kun-”

Aomine slams his fist into the wall, making Kuroko flinch. “Dammit, Tetsu, I didn’t follow you here just to watch you be with someone else!”

“Then why  _ did  _ you follow me here?” 

“I thought I made that obvious in the library,” Aomine mutters. 

This appears to be news to Kagami. “Library? What happened in the library?” He looks to Kuroko. “What happened in the library!?”

Kuroko sighs. “We kissed,” he reluctantly answers. 

Kagami pouts. “Oh.”

“I thought you were over me…” Kuroko murmurs. 

“Never,” Kagami says. “ _ I _ might have accepted you’ve moved on, but I still love you. And I still have hope for us.”

“Yeah, well _ I haven’t  _ accepted it,” Aomine growls. 

Kuroko feels tears stinging his eyes. This isn’t fair. He feels like the monster in this story. He could so easily make his old friends happy, he could just  _ choose  _ to be with them. But it’s not that simple, is it? 

“I can’t,” he says, his voice breaking. “I just can’t.”

Kagami appears to be upset by the display of tears. “Kuroko…” he murmurs. 

Aomine stands from the bed and walks over to Kuroko. He towers over him, and Kuroko almost feels a little intimidated. It was never like that before. He always felt safe with Aomine. Aomine grabs his wrists and pulls him up, kissing him. Kuroko makes a soft squeak of surprise and protest, but he’s not strong enough to wriggle free. He squeezes his eyes shut, then suddenly Aomine is being pulled off him. He opens his eyes to see that Kagami has thrown him back a few metres. 

“Aomine, don’t,” he warns. Aomine scoffs and drops back onto the bed, clearly annoyed. “Sorry, Kuroko,” Kagami mumbles. 

“It’s okay… Thank you…” 

Kuroko bites his lip. This feels so wrong. He doesn’t want his friends to be sad, but he doesn’t want to leave Seijuurou. Not after everything they’ve been through. 

“I-” he begins, “I can’t go back. We don’t belong together anymore,” he says. Tears fill his eyes and he squeezes them shut. “I can’t be with you anymore.”

He feels arms wrapping around his shoulders, Kagami, and Kuroko softly starts crying into his chest. 

“Sheesh, Tetsu. Don’t make me feel like an ass.”

“You  _ are  _ an ass,” Kagami says. 

“Hmph.” 

A moment later Aomine is pressing against Kuroko’s back, hugging him from behind and sandwiching him between himself and Kagami. Kuroko cries quietly for a few minutes, then pulls away from the sandwich. 

“I’m sorry,” he repeats himself. “Please don’t make this any harder for me.”

Aomine looks awkward now, apparently remorseful for his actions. “Sorry, Tetsu. I still won’t give up on us, but… I can let you go. If that’s what you want.”

“Um…” Kuroko mumbles. “I gave Aomine-kun a last kiss. In the library.” He looks up at Kagami. “Do you want one?”

Kagami’s eyes go wide. “Uh-Um-I-That’s-You don’t-”

“Just take it,” Aomine says softly. “It’s the last time you’ll ever get the chance.”

Kagami stops stammering and nods. He leans down while Kuroko leans up, the pair’s lips meeting. Kagami smells like sandalwood and spices, and it’s both familiar and heart-breaking at the same time. When they pull apart, Kagami’s cheeks are shining from Kuroko’s tears. 

“Sorry,” Kuroko mumbles. 

Kagami shakes his head. “Don’t worry about it.” He kisses the top of Kuroko’s head. “It’s okay. Like Aomine said, I won’t give up on you, but I’m letting you go. I know you’re better with him.”

“I don’t know about  _ that _ ,” Aomine butts in. 

“Shut up,” Kagami says, exasperated. 

“It’s not that I’m happier with him than I was with you,” Kuroko says, “I just… It’s different.”

“It’s fine, Kuroko, we get it,” Kagami assures. “Sorry for trying to get into your room. We went a little crazy. It’s been a long time.”

“Yeah…” Aomine mumbles. “Sorry. Won’t happen again.”

Kuroko pats both their hands. “Is it just me or are you two getting cozy with my sister wife though?”

Kagami blushes red again. “Um… Well… That’s…”

“He’s pretty cute,” Aomine admits. “I’d bang him.”

“Geez, Aomine, is your knot all you think about?”

“Pretty much.”

Kuroko giggles, happy to see his friends bantering casually again. “Well, I’m just saying, you two would be perfect for him.”

Kagami blushes again. “T-Thanks, Kuroko…”

Kuroko smiles at him. “Anyway, I’m glad we talked. I should probably go now. I’ll send Ryouta back in.”

“See you, Tetsu,” Aomine says. “Love you.”

“Yeah, love you,” Kagami adds.

Kuroko smiles, blinking tears away. “Love you too. I’ll see you later.”

With that, he leaves the room. He has to pause outside in the hallway for a moment to gather himself. He continues to cry silently for a minute, then wipes his face clean of tears, takes a deep breath, and returns to his own room. Inside, Ryouta is bouncing Kaeru in his lap, the baby giggling happily. 

“You’re good with him,” Kuroko comments as he crosses to the bed.

“Practice!” Ryouta chirps. “Everything good, Tetsucchi?”

Kuroko nods. “Yes, everything’s fine.”

“Ookay, I’ll go back then. I’ll see you at lunchtime.” Ryouta flashes them both smiles, then leaves with his son, shutting the door behind him.

“You’ve been crying,” Seijuurou immediately says. 

Kuroko exhales. “Yes. Of course you can tell.”

“Your nose is just a little pink,” Seijuurou says with a gentle smile. 

Kuroko crawls over to him and climbs into his lap. Seijuurou immediately wraps his arms around his wife. 

“Just saying goodbye,” Kuroko supplies. “Why are goodbyes always tearful?”

“Because it feels like something is ending.”

“Something  _ did  _ end.”

“Maybe,” Seijuurou says. “But it’s not completely gone. They’re still here, they’re still your friends. It’s not a complete goodbye.”

“I know. It’s just kind of sad,” Kuroko sighs. 

Seijuurou kisses the crown of his head. “I know. I’m proud of you for being so strong. You’ve had a difficult year. You’re amazing to still be here. I’m so glad you came back. I love you, Tetsuya.”

Kuroko smiles and closes his eyes, letting the words sink in a bit. “I love you too.” He looks up and tugs Seijuurou down for a kiss. “I’m glad I came back too.”

And he is. It’s sad that he’s parted with Aomine and Kagami, but they have Ryouta and Kaeru now, and Kuroko has Seijuurou. Everything is okay. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter feels very final, but there will be more. But not much. Like two chapters, max. 
> 
> Idk what I'm gonna do when this story is over. It's been my baby since November last year. I'll probably die when it's finished. I'll have nothing to think about.


	45. {45}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I noticed a while back that we passed 600 kudos. Aaaaa I cannot believe this. I don't know what to say other than thank you. 
> 
> I'm really tired and I have been doing badly lately still so I'm not going to say much else. 
> 
> Finally getting some answers.

“So you did the deed, huh?” Kazunari asks. 

Kuroko gives him a blank stare. “We’ve done it plenty of times in the past year. That’s not a secret.”

“I know, I’m just messing with ya,” the other omega laughs. 

“You still haven’t changed your mind about children?” Kuroko asks him. 

“Weeeeell, Shin-chan has been visiting your sister wifey.”

“And?”

“And he acts like he hates the kid, but I can tell he’s in love with it.”

“‘It’?”

“Him, whatever.”

“So, you’re saying Midorima-san is reconsidering?” Kuroko asks. 

“That’s exactly what I’m saying. Maybe when you pop one out he’ll  _ really  _ change his mind,” Kazunari says. 

Kuroko frowns. “Must you phrase it that way? That sounds so… uncomfortable.”

Kazunari laughs. “Sorry. When you get your stomach cut open and your child ripped from your womb. Is that better?”

“I think I liked popping it out more, thank you.”

Kazunari snorts. “Anyway, how long has it been since you screwed?”

Kuroko sighs, choosing to ignore the vulgar language. “Two weeks actually.”

“Soooooo, get a test. It’s been long enough.”

“It has… I’m just nervous…” Kuroko admits. 

“Because you lost the first one?”

“Yes… I’m worried it will happen again.”

Kazunari puts down his magazine and rests a hand on Kuroko’s shoulder. “It’s not going to. You’re back, you’re healthy as ever, and as long as you actually remember to eat this time it’ll be fine! Seriously. Stop fretting.”

“I don’t know if you’re the best at comforting, but I appreciate it,” Kuroko says. 

“Not a problem!” 

Kuroko leans over his bed and presses the domestic call button. Kouki turns up within a few minutes, smiling brightly. He’s pleased to have his keeper back and happy. 

“What do you need?” he asks. 

“Um, I need- er, another test,” Kuroko says awkwardly. He’s still kind of embarrassed about asking for some reason. 

“Oh! Has it been two weeks already?” Kouki asks. Kuroko nods. “I can have it arranged for this evening if you’d like?”

“Yes please,” Kuroko murmurs. 

Kouki smiles. “Of course. Is that everything?” 

“Yes, that’s all. Thank you.”

“Right! Then I’ll get on the job!” The domestic scurries off out the door quickly. 

“Well, at least he’s excited,” Kazunari comments. 

* * *

That evening, Kuroko is sitting in his room, Seijuurou working at the table he’s moved in there. There’s a knock at the door, then Kouki is stepping inside. 

“Tetsuya-san, I have what you asked for,” he says.

“Oh, thank you.” Kuroko gets up from his bed and goes over to his domestic, taking the little handkerchief-wrapped parcel from him once again. He notices Seijuurou watching the exchange. “Um, Sei, I don’t suppose you’d want to step out for a minute?”

Seijuurou’s brows raise. “Sure. Is everything okay?”

“Yes, fine. I just need a moment,” Kuroko says. 

His husband picks up his textbook and nods. “I’ll be in the library then.”

Kuroko waits for him to leave, then turns to Kouki. “I want someone else to be here for this too,” he says.

“Ryouta-san?”

“Um, no…” 

Kuroko leaves, Kouki trailing after him in curiosity, and goes to Ryouta’s room. Ryouta appears to be napping, while Aomine and Kagami play with Kaeru on the floor. They look up when Kuroko enters.

“Hey, Tetsu,” Aomine says. “What’s up?”

“Um… I was wondering if you could both come back to my room for a minute,” Kuroko says quietly. 

His old friends glance at each other. “Sure,” Kagami nods. 

“I’ll take care of Kaeru-chan,” Kouki says with a smile. 

Aomine and Kagami stand up and follow Kuroko back to his room. He’s still clutching the parcel in his hands, which his friends have been eyeing. 

“So, what did you want?” Kagami asks when they’re in Kuroko’s room with the door safely shut. 

“I, um…” Kuroko decides it’ll be easier to show them. He unwraps the handkerchief, revealing the pregnancy test box. 

“Oh.” 

“Oh.”

“Don’t just say that…” Kuroko mumbles. 

“I- I didn’t know you were thinking of having another baby,” Kagami says. 

Kuroko nods. “After the miscarriage, I decided I wanted to try again.”

It’s silent for a moment, Kuroko waiting for his friends to react further. Then, Aomine steps forward and envelops him in a hug. 

“What are you doing?” Kuroko asks, his voice muffled as he’s pressed into Aomine’s chest.

“Sorry for being such a dick,” Aomine mutters. “I want you to be happy, Tetsu. If that means you want to have a family, then I support you.”

Tears spring to Kuroko’s eyes. He squeezes around Aomine’s waist. “Thank you…”

When Aomine steps away after a minute, Kagami goes in for his own hug. “I hope it’s positive for you,” he says. “You deserve this chance at happiness.”

“Stop being so nice,” Kuroko says. 

“What? Why?”

“You’re going to make me cry.”

“You already are crying, Tetsu,” Aomine says with a roll of his eyes. “You were always such a crybaby.”

“Shush,” Kuroko says, wiping his eyes. “Wait here. I’ll come back out.”

He goes into the bathroom, and once again goes through the routine of the test. He comes back out with the test as it processes. 

“So you have to pee on that thing?” Aomine asks. “Gross.”

“Shut up,” Kagami says, giving him a gentle shove. 

Kuroko fidgets, shifting around as he waits. 

“We should have a baby shower if it’s positive,” Aomine suggests.

Kagami stares at him. “Really?”

“What? I can like kid stuff!”

Kuroko is too nervous to smile, staring at the test’s little screen in anticipation. 

“Kuroko, relax,” Kagami says. “You’re going to launch yourself into space if you keep hopping around.”

“Sorry,” Kuroko mumbles. “I’m just nervous.”

“Is it ready yet?” Aomine asks.

Kuroko looks back down, and sees that there’s a result. He squeaks when he sees the familiar red plus. He holds it up to his friends. 

“Well what does that mean?” Aomine asks. 

Kuroko bursts into a smile. “I’m pregnant.”

“Holy crap, Kuroko,” Kagami breathes. He scoops Kuroko back into a hug, and then Aomine joins in, squishing him from the other side. 

“Now we’re definitely having a baby shower,” Aomine says. 

Kuroko laughs, blinking tears from his eyes. “Sure. I need to tell Sei.”

Kagami pats Kuroko’s head. “We’ll be in Ryouta’s room then.”

“Don’t tell him, I want to tell him,” Kuroko says. 

“Duh, we wouldn’t spoil your good news,” Aomine replies. He gives Kuroko a last squeeze. “I’m happy for you, Tetsu.”

Kuroko smiles up at him. “Thank you.”

They part in the hallway, Kuroko going into the library. Seijuurou is sitting at the coffee table, his textbook open, but he’s leaning his head on the open pages, his eyes closed. Kuroko thinks he looks so cute while he rests, and he’s smiling as he kneels down beside his husband. 

“Sei,” he murmurs, touching Seijuurou’s shoulder. 

The alpha stirs, sitting up groggily. “I fell asleep,” he says. He eyes Kuroko. “What are you so smiley for?”

Kuroko leans forward into his arms, hugging him tightly. “I’m pregnant,” he whispers. 

Seijuurou goes a little stiff, then pulls back from the hug. “Seriously?” he says with wide eyes. 

“Seriously,” Kuroko nods. 

Seijuurou kisses him, pulling Kuroko down on top of him so they’re lying on the floor. He squeezes Kuroko’s middle as he kisses him, and the two don’t part for a good five minutes. Kuroko sits up on Seijuurou’s hips, breathing hard. “That’s a nice way of congratulating me,” he says. 

Seijuurou grins and sits up as well. He kisses Kuroko’s lips chastely. “I’m so happy, I don’t think you understand.”

“Trust me, I understand,” Kuroko says. 

“Ha, of course. What am I saying?” Seijuurou kisses him again, squeezing Kuroko tightly. “This is probably the happiest day of my life,” he says. 

“Mine too,” Kuroko murmurs. “Aomine-kun suggested we have a baby shower.”

“That’s a great idea. I bet Ryouta would get into that,” Seijuurou says. 

Kuroko nods. “Um, but… there’s some things I want to talk about first.”

“Oh? What’s on your mind?”

Kuroko hesitates. “If we’re going to have a family, we need to clear some things up.”

Seijuurou looks slightly concerned. “Go on.”

“Well, first, how did you track me down when I escaped?”

Seijuurou appears uncomfortable, not meeting Kuroko's gaze. “I was wondering when I’d have to tell you this. Do you remember seeing my father when you first came here? Before the wedding?”

“No. Because I blacked out for the whole process and woke up in my room hours later.”

Seijuurou winces. “Yes. Well, I found you because you were inserted with a tracker at that time.”

Kuroko stares at him. “You’re going to take it out.”

“I-”

“Don’t worry, I’m not running away anymore. You know I don’t want to live without you. But I don’t want to be a slave.”

“I understand completely,” Seijuurou says. “We don’t have to go through my father if you wish. I can have it done at the hospital without him.”

“I’d appreciate that…” Kuroko murmurs. “Okay. Next. What  _ really  _ happened to Mayuzumi-san?”

Seijuurou inhales deeply. “He really did leave. I- I wouldn’t let him see Reo though. I forced him to go. I said some very unpleasant things to him, actually.”

“That wasn’t really  _ you  _ though…”

“But it was. He’s a part of me. He might be different, but he’s still me. But Chihiro is alive. I never hurt him.”

Kuroko nods. “Okay. Finally. Did you kill Reo?”

Seijuurou closes his eyes. “I was hoping we’d never have to have this conversation. I… did not do anything directly…” 

“So, what does that mean?”

“It means… I told my father he was no longer useful.”

Kuroko nods slowly. “I see.”

“I’m sorry. I know you were friends. We were friends too. I… can’t believe ‘he’ did what he did.”

Kuroko sighs, then leans in to hug his husband. “It’s not your fault.”

“If you say so. If I hadn’t been so weak, he never would have taken control in the first place,” Seijuurou says. 

“Don’t say that…”

“But it’s true.”

“Seriously. Sei. Stop,” Kuroko says. “Don’t blame yourself for this.”

Seijuurou smiles sadly. “I have to. It’s the only way for me to repent for my sins.”

“That’s dramatic.”

Seijuurou scoffs. “Maybe. Anyway…” He kisses Kuroko lightly. “I’m happy about your news. Is that what you were doing with Kouki when you sent me away?”

Kuroko nods. “I wanted it to be a surprise. If it was positive.”

“Well it was. And I’m ecstatic,” Seijuurou says. “We’re definitely having that baby shower.”

“I think we should wait to have the baby shower. I just… I don’t want to celebrate while it’s still early,” Kuroko says. 

“You’re worried about losing it again?” Seijuurou asks. Kuroko nods. “I understand. We can wait then.”

“Thank you. I hope that now that we’ve done this properly, everything will work out,” Kuroko says. 

Seijuurou smiles at him. “I believe everything is going to be fine,” he says. 

Kuroko hugs him tightly. He’s so happy that he actually believes it. 


	46. A/N: HAPPY CHEMICALS DAY

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> err not a new chapter actually

SO I know I haven't updated in a while. Like a really long while. I've gotten distracted by other things a lot.

Tbh mostly the reason I haven't updated is because the next chapter will probably be the last one, and I don't want this story to end :C

But, today is a rather special day!

Today, the 4th November, is the one year anniversary of Chemicals ^0^ 

Exactly a year ago, I decided to start planning out the story. 

Facebook so graciously reminded me of it, in fact.

Anyways, I think I've said before that I wanted to do a Chemical Garden AU for a loooong time (since 2011), and I did attempt one at one point for a previous fandom about 4 years ago. It was shit and it didn't work, I was just desperate to write this universe. Anyway, around this time last year I started thinking about it again, as I'd recently gotten into omegaverse (I blame u Kath). And as the FB post says, I was literally 4 days into NaNo last year when I was like "...yeah I want to do that instead of this crap". And I stuck with NaNo for a while. Like 2 weeks. And then I gave up. And started writing Chemicals. As you can see, I posted chapter 1 on the 28th November last year, so NaNo wasn't even over yet. 

BUT YES I WOULD JUST LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL FOR READING THIS. Whether you've been here from the start, or you started reading halfway through, I appreciate everyone who has read it, liked it, and given feedback. This story has pretty much been my baby for a year. I know it's not perfect, by FAR, but I've still had fun writing it, and I hope everyone else has as well. 

So, back to the future. Or the present even. I am, of course, working on NaNo 2017 now, and if the story turns out to be any kind of decent, I'll post it eventually too. So right now this is what I'm focused on, but I will get around to finishing the last chapter of Chemicals eventually. Even though I don't want it to end, it needs to at some point. I will eventually also get around to writing some spin-off or even sequel stuff, but that's not a priority right now, and won't be for a while. 

Anyways, Happy Chemicals Day everyone, I hope you're having a good year ^^


End file.
